


Down The Rabbithole

by Itshauntedtoon3



Category: Alice in Wonderland (1951), Hazbin Hotel (Web Series), Zoophobia (Webcomic)
Genre: Alice in Wonderland References, Alternate Universe - Alice in Wonderland Fusion, Other, Vivziepop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-02-23 13:29:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 58,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23712262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itshauntedtoon3/pseuds/Itshauntedtoon3
Summary: (A story based on the concept art of Vivziepop's old project Allison. I do not own any of the charcters, I just wanted to make a story of it based off my own headcannons. If you don't know what it is please go look it up. It was made by the same person who made Hazbin Hotel.)Allison Gale is newly turned twenty two fresh out of college and just learnt her grandmother had sadly passed away and had left everything to Allison. Well, she doesn't have any place else to go so why not move out of state? But unluckily for her, she's about to get dragged down the rabbit hole by a crazy but familiar old face.
Relationships: Alice (Alice in Wonderland) & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day. 

The sun rays shone down upon the world as the calm quiet woods sounded with the life of birds and insects happy the sun warmed them from up above. The light shone through the tree leaves as their branches leaned over the road and blocked most of the sunlight, casting long shadows to dance on the old dirt road that only lead deeper and deeper into the forbidden woods- Well almost forbidden. The yellow blur of the taxi as it kicked up dirt was the only thing interrupting the silence of the silent woods as it sped down the dust path. Shining light went inside the cab and caught on the dark reddish-brown eyes attached to the sweet strawberry blonde haired lady as she stared out of the window watching the green world go by. It's was almost like a dream to come back all these years to the place she used to play and live as a small little girl. Running through the woods, climbing trees, swimming in the giant pond, playing with her blue furred imaginary and her granny coming out to find her and dragging her back in again. She almost smiled remembering the thoughts, or she would have if another thought didn't hit her. What would her granny say if she saw her no? Washed up without a job and dropped out of college at twenty two. A great way to start off life, am I right? A small bump sent her jostling and reaching a hand over to grab the large suitcase in the set next to her and the smaller gym bag on top of that, scrambling to not them fall on the bed of the car as another bump threatened to send them over again...When no more bumps can after a few moments she slowly let go and sighed when they didn't fall over and leaned back into her seat.

"You ok back there?," the cab driver bluntly asked not even taking his eyes off the road. His tone was just bored instead of that chipper happy tone from when she got rides back in her own town.

She pushed some of that strawberry blonde hair out of her face and taking a breath. "Y-Yeah. I-I'm ok. Thanks." He didn't answer her back and she sighed, looking back out the windows at all the pine trees and other nature scenes. "This forest sure is big."

"It's the Oceanic Forest. Our world is one half water and these woods make up a big chunk of it what land we have left." She jumped slightly and blinked back at him. He muttered something else under his breath she didn't quite catch, his black eyes seemed almost nervous gazing out at the woods like he was expecting some kind of monster to pop out in front of him and glance back up at her with a almost stern look. "....Some folks say this place is cursed. Cursed for thousands of years."

"I-I know, but it all sounds rather silly." She shook her head and looked back out the window with a small smile. "Fairies and strange powers that doom anyone who harms the forests. Heard it over and over before. Curse thee those who's hearts are easily closed minded." She gave a chuckle to it all trying to lighten the mood but stopped once her eyes looked over and caught him giving her a stern look through the rear view mirror.

"These aren't things that should be joked about young lady. If I had it my way, I'd turn around right here and now and drive back as fast as I could to the safety of the sidewalks and man made houses." His eyes darted back to the brightly lit dirt road and even though it was daytime he acted like it was night time and something would jump out at them at any given second. "B-But lucky for you my boss would have my hide if I turned down any job. I've seen things. Strange things. That no one could explain in these very woods."

Her eyes scrunched up in curiousity and perhaps mild fear at why he was acting so weird. "Like what exactly?"

"Shadows! If you look out right now and look around you may or may not see one!" He stated matter of factly and looked around quickly again at the peaceful woods. "It doesn't matter if it's day or night for them. They'll always move around waiting for their victims, but as long as you stay out they'll leave you alone. Oh, nono. They'll creep to the very EDGE of the last tree that begins the forest line and reach out for you I heard. Snatch you if you get too close. But they'll never fully leave the safety of their vast woods. Just never go into the woods and stay away, and you will always b-be safe." His voice trembled as his grip on the steering wheel increased. "May god have mercy on the poor souls who don't heed the warnings and travel to places they don't belong."

Another moment of silence passed and she temporarily gazed out the window. She didn't know why but she squinted her eyes out the window at the forest surrounding them and especially the shadows. There wasn't anyway she was superspicious but looking never- She jumped seeing something move behind a tree, but quickly relaxed when her brain registered it as a deer. The poor thing ran off probably from the car speeding through it's home and she smiled. Fairies and shadow ghost and curses. And she supposed Santa Clause and the Sand Man were right around the corner too. Her small smile returned as she looked over to the driver again.

"And I don't suppose there's a legend behind these woods too is there?" She couldn't help but sound a little amused which still made him irritated.

"This isn't funny! People say these woods were cursed by demons and witches thousands of years ago. Making this place a literal hell on earth!"

"Well. I grew up in these woods. And nothing ever bad happened to me or my granny when she was alive," she said smiling back out into the beautiful woods, "I played in the woods all the time as a kid, and I never saw any scary shadows or anything."

...."Then you're really lucky young lady." He seemed to almost shudder with his next warning. "If I were you I'd handle up whatever business I had with this dead grandma's place and get out of here."

...This time she scowled. "I can't! She left it to me, a-and I don't have anywhere else to go." Her face glanced off to the floor of the cab as her faced turned sour. Remembering the faces of the landlord who happily evicted her for bills she couldn't pay anymore, the cousin who conveniently didn't have any room for her to stay, or the teacher who wouldn't let her go back to school when she couldn't afford the college anymore. Working the dead end job at the local pizza place wasn't enough money and she only had a highschool degree. God she really did mess up huh? 

"Mark my words. Nothing good could ever come from this place. Just don't say I didn't warn you, Kid."

The rest of the trip there was rather peaceful except for the man staring at the woods around them with a scared matter, until she saw it. Pale white paint chipping off the old looking brown wood giving the small house an old abandoned look. It was-...Not lot she remembered. And it only made it more apparent when they got closer. The old metal fence was barely hanging into it's place in the ground and wild vines were all plastered over it, making the tall grass and weeds look even more eerily. It...It looked like the place had been abandoned for years as it rolled closer and eventually loomed over them with a shadow once they came to a stop right in front of it. She just...stared at it. This wasn't the same white house and neat yard she remembered from when she was little-

"That's no house, that's termites holding hands...No offense."

"...I-It's ok. Nothing a lawnmower and paint can't fix." 

He hummed. "Well my job's done. Grab your stuff and get out so I can leave."

She looked to him and blinked. "You're not going to help me?"

He looked around to her with a stern face and gripped the steering wheel tighter, "Lady! I ain't getting out of this cab and getting snatched up!"

She scowled but didn't argue when she pushed her door open and got out, turning around and grabbing her bags, pulling the heavy suitcase and bag out and hitting the ground with a thud, she scowled and mumbled to herself before slamming the door shut and dragging them a few feet away from the- SCREEE!! A cloud of blinding dust and screeching tires suddenly hit her and filled her lungs. Those hands went up to cover her mouth and wave at the air in a futile attempt to swat away the dirt stinging her eyes and making her eyes sting. Reddish-brown eyes blinked and through the settling dust and saw the faint sight of a blurry yellow taxi speeding away with a dust trail kicking up behind it. A growl escaped her throat and she scowled at the fading menace.

"HEY!! YOU JERK!!", She yelled back. Not that it would do her any good now or ever.

She groaned loudly and with a grunt, she leaned back down to grab the two giant and heavy bags filled with personal belongings and began to pull and tug them towards the house. That took a while with her small form heaving the objects through the tall weeds and grass towards the front door of the old home the shadow of the old place looking over her swallowing her whole and blocking out the sunlight, once she got to the porch she stopped though. Looking over the steps with a scowl before sighing, and continuing, the luggage thumping and jarring being pulled past each step. It always seemed like it was harder bringing things up stairs than down don't you think? One back breaking pull later, they were redropped onto the hard old porch and she sighed. Hands going to her back as she stretched it out with a pop and brown-red eyes looked around the front door and everything around it. ...Where did the lawyer say the key was again? OH!! RIGHT!! She quickly looked to her feet and smiled at the old welcome mat under her, stepping off and leaning down to grab and lift it, underneath was a small golden key that looked to match the doorknob. With a smile she stoof back up and went to insert it into the keyhole, with a twist and click, it opened. She just stood there as the door very loudly opened revealing the inside of the house and it-......It looked exactly as she remembered. The large living room opened up to her was littered in old worn furniture, a small shelf lined with her grandmother's old glass figurine collection still stood there as small shiny glass statues ranging from a small cat to a couple kissing each other stood proudly. She remembered sitting by the fireplace right next to it staring at the figurines and making up stories about those figurines. How the couple was a secret runaway princess and her lover. How the ballerina next to them was the greatest dancer in the world with many admires, how the cat was a glass version of her imaginary friend. She giggled remembering the funny things they would get into when she was younger. Everything looked the exact same. It was almost like-...she never left. As if she turned her head- Her eyes turned to glance at the old rocking chair by the fireplace- her granny would still be right there. Rocking back and forth, knitting her whatever new sweater or clothes she needed. Like she said when she was a little girl:

"You don't need distractions like television and all that nonsense. The woods and imagination take you places other's can't even dream about-"

"Go play. Create fantasies a bundle." She slowly muttered to herself. She still stared at the rocking chair, a light breeze blowing in through the open door, blowing her hair around and the rocking chair moved just slightly in the wind. ....She sadly smiled and turned back around. Discarding the key into her pocket and turning back to the luggage still sitting behind her on the porch with a sigh. She still had a lot of work to do. So that's why five minutes later she was pulling both bags across the floor one giant tug at a time, she would go one bag at a time but she just wanted to get this over with. It was when she encountered the stairs leading up to the second floor of the building when she wished she had superpowers of flight or teleportation or strength. It'd make things very easier, but alas magic didn't exist. While going up the stairs she passed by different picture frames hung on the walls, some really old black and white photos, others looking a bit more modern but still older. An old black n white photo of her young grandparents on their wedding day, a new one of her granny as a young lady, another of her holding a younger version of her- She stopped and stared at the picture of herself...A younger her. She remembered the day this was taken. Mother's day when she was just six years old, she made her and her granny matching flower crowns and she took the photo...She smiled a bit at the fond memories of giggling and sweet scented flowers. Before she grunted and started pulling again. The heavy bags hitting each step making a giant thump sound that vibrated through the empty house. She passed the mirror hanging against the wall as well and if she would've taken a look at it she might've seen the pink and yellow strange mitchmatched eyes blinking at her from the fan on the ceiling as she continued to grunt and pull the heavy thing up the stairs away from the mirror, but those eyes remained glued on her as the small blue person just blinked and turned as she reached the top of the stairs. She gave a sigh...before grunting and starting to pull the thing towards the old bedroom she used to stay in. The pink door to the far right. The small blue figure on the ceiling fan tilted his head at the obvious struggling before she just dropped them with a growl to the floor. Looking at them for a long moment before giving them a kick of frustration and turning to the pink door. She hesitated....before pushing it wide open and walking in. The small blue figure tilted his head to the right before blinking, arching his body and shaking lightly before hopping down off the fan and landing to the floor with the softest thud. He crept over to the doorway and poked their head in to watch her. She looked all around the small room. Faded beige walls with flower wall paper stared back at her, a regular sized bed, dresser, and desk lined the left wall and a small shelf with old toys and books leaned against the other side. A smile came to her face seeing the old pictures still tacked onto the wall. One of a crudely drawn grandma and child holding hands and another next to them a small blue crudely drawn kitty wearing some kind of white shirt and red bowtie. Unconciously she raised a hand and touched the picture with a smile at the memories. Oh the adventures she had as a child. She missed the small blue head (that looked oddly like a better version of the blue cat in the drawing) when she turned back to the door and went over to regrab at the heavy things, grunting as she pulled them in and laid them in the middle of the floor and sighed. Before unzipping the first bag on top and reaching inside to pull out a pair of clothes. These things wouldn't put themselves away, and she had a lot of work to do later fixing up the place and cleaning all the dust up.

The small figure that hid from before peeked out from the top of the doorway upside down and kept quickly ducking whenever she turned her head in that direction. Always missing the figure as she worked to unpack and definitely didn't see the wide fanged grin. Or hear the mischevious giggles. Or even hear the playful voice.

"Welcome back, Allison."


	2. Chapter 2

Ever had a case of deja vu that was so powerful you could've sworn it was a dream? Well she was having that all day today, the day before had left her with a bad taste of taxi drivers now and hoped she didn't have to use one ever again, but that could be saved for later. Tomorrow she didn't know what exactly she was going to do, but one thing was for sure the house needed to be dusted and taken care of. The night had been proof of that when she kept sneezing from the amount of dust covering everything, so when she got up she was feeling a little(lot) groggy the next morning and something got her up. The wonderful smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the air and so she sleepily got up and she stretched with a yawn and blinked. ...Smacking her lips and throwing the blankets off of her, throwing the blankets off and standing up. She coughed a few times from the dust and began walking to the door. The stairs creaked under her when she walked down the steps and desceneded to the living room. Still coughing lightly and blinking tiredly, stomach rumbling towards the delicious smell from the kitchen. Once she got into said kitchen, it was completely emptied of life besides her but somehow there was a plate of eggs and bacon perfectly cooked with a glass of orange juice by it. Hungry and still not thinking clearly from sleep, she sat down in the chair, grabbed the fork, and began to chow down on the food provided to her by out of thin air all of a sudden. It wasn't until she was halfway through it did she stop...and gulped down the food in her mouth before blinking at what was left.....WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?! She took a moment to look towards the sink where a small pile of dishes used to cook the food was...before she stared back straight ahead and blinked...Her hand pointing to the sink and the food and back again as she stared...And she shrugged. She must've been so tired she mustn't have notice her cook the food and forgotten about it. Happened to everyone. Some people forget their house keys so early in the morning because they were tired, she must've gone blank with her mind still mush from being so early in the morning. Perfectly logical. So she shrugged it off and finished eating the breakfast she forgot she made for herself and placed the dishes in the sink and made a mental note to come back and clean later right now she had a mission to do. And that mission was detoxifying all the dust and dirt from the house to stop all this coughing. If this was her home now, she was going to make sure it was actually livable. The cleaning supplies Allison needed was found under the sneak and in the kitchen closet, and got to work on the first room mist important obviously. Her old bedroom, giving it an sort of make over. Rearanging the few things in there like the old few toys and books on the shelf after wiping it with one of the tissues and removing the musty sheets off the bed...Did the old washer and dryer still work?? The old childhood pictures remained though. She reached for them to take them down...but couldn't just bring herself to do it. Allison supposed they just meant so much with the memories drawn in them she couldn't bring herself to do it, so for now she'll leave them up and focus on other things. Which included taking all the stuff out of her bags(which lets be honest was mostly art supplies and clothes with a few personal items) and shuffled about unpacking them all. The smaller clothes from her childhood were tossed into the giant suitcase as soon as it was emptied of her now clothes and stored into the back of said closet with the giant duffle bag until she could think of a better place to put them. The things like paint brushes, colored pencils, and what's left of whatever she didn't sell off to pay off all the bills and things she owed-....She was still sure she was still expecting a taxi bill anytime soon. But it was nice to relax for once and just fix up her space to the way she wanted. Remember the deju vu part mentioned? Well she went back down to the kitchen after a while to get herself some lunch- But stopped when she saw it. The kitchen. WAS. CLEAN. And not just clean. It looked as if she spent the whole day mopping the floors and wiping down all the dusty counters, and even the dishes from the sink were gone....She stood there for the longest moment..before going to the cabinets and opening them all looking in. YEP! She found the pan and the dishes she used cleaned and put away in the cabinets. She had to take a step back and think for a long moment. Before coming to the totally logical conclusion that she also must've cleaned the kitchen when she was half asleep that morning and because of all the stress and work she did on her bedroom, she simply must've forgotten about that too. Silly her. She should really start remembering things better and not get so distracted.

When she went to the fridge and pulled it open, she was surprised to find it stocked to THE BRIM with fresh foods and blinked again.....The caretaker of her grandmother's estate must've left this here while he was staying here to collect what her grandmother left to her cousins in her will. He must've had a big apitite if he left all this here. Yeesh. The guy was a little round but she wasn't expecting him to dump money on food and just leave it here. Oh well. Just meant food for her for a good long while. A guilty feeling did nag at her for even considering eating someone else's food, but she shrugged it off with another thought. If he didn't want me to eat it, he shouldn't have left it here and taken it with him when he left instead of wasting money like that. But she guessed when you were a big time lawyer you didn't need to worry about spending maybe a hundred dollars on simple food. Shrugging she grabbed a few things from the fridge to make a sandwhich and went for the table. Not noticing the eyes blinking from the doorway or hearing the quiet giggle before the fella turned around and scurried of in a blur of blue. But she didn't notice the blue, just the sound of small paws scurrying away when she whipped her head around...And scowled.

"Great. Mice. Just perfect," she grumbled to herself before going back to the food.

She definitely had no clue who was really behind all this did she? Oh well, she'll find out soon enough anyways. For now be was enjoying the confusion on her face and helping behind the scenes for now. It's been too long since he was able to have fun. The old lady was too used to his tricks and the lawyer was too easy. Let's see how long it took his old friend to notice his little shennanigans shall we?~ The next few were pretty easy, she was doing something human's called 'spring cleaning' which seemed to be a culture celebration of spring by cleaning your houses he guessed. More human things. But this worked all the better. With just a snap of his fingers all the dust turned into the shapes of bunnies, 'dust bunnies', and hoped out the window he opened while Allison was busy on her hands and knees scrubbing the floors and cleaning the dust covered shelves. He'd silently wait somewhere she couldn't see him and just giggle at her totally confused face when she'd walk into the next room and discover it completely clean and free of dust. Looking at it for a moment...before shrugging it off and moving on to the still dirty room next to the one he'd clean, brushing it off as her cleaning one room and completely forgetting which rooms she had cleaned. OH!! The irony was too good. But he noticed she didn't go in one room.....Her grandmother's old room....In reality he hadn't been there at all either since the old lady got taken away to ..what did humans call it? A nursery home? Like a Nursery for elderly? He couldn't remember specifically. Only the exciting news that Allison was gonna come back soon! But...She stood in the doorway to that particular room for what seemed like forever before she sighed and turned away dragging the vacuum with her. 

"I-I'll just...c-come back to this one."

He tilted his head curiously to her reaction as she silently disappeared down the stairs...before looking at the open room. Hopping down from his hiding space behind the flower pot and staring into the cold room silently. ...She didn't want to go in there, understandably. He felt it was disrespectful too to intrude on someone else's personal courters if they were dead or alive. But still, it seemed also disrespectful to just leave it in a state of messiness like this, and it would probably save her the heartache of doing it herself. SO AS A GOOD FRIEND HE HAD A RIGHT TO USE MAGIC ON THIS!! He smiled and snapped his fingers. The same thing with all the rooms he'd done before happened. The window opened and all the dust within the room magically began coming together and clumping into little dust bunnies. Said bunnies then began to magically hop to the window and out. Loosing their shape as they fell down to the ground below. At the same time Allison was vacuuming the guest bedroom downstairs which her granny used to use as her 'meditating room'. Her old mat was still there and she would sit there for hours just relaxing and meditating. Funny. She never had anything else in the room ever other than her meditating mat and the giant full length mirror that stood in the middle of the room. It looked clean despite the dust flying around it, but she shrugged it off again. What she did catch however was the sudden grey blurs going back the window. At first she thought it was just a bird or leaf, but when more fell she looked to it and jumped slightly when a giant clump of what looked like dust fell past it and too the ground. What the- The lady turned off the machine and went over to the window and looked down at the ground, before flinching as another dust cloud floated down past her...Where were those coming from? Was the wind blowing dirt off the roof? That's a logical answer. Until she heard a slam of window shutter from upstairs making her jump and look up at the ceiling. That sound had come from right above her, her grandmother's old bedroom!...She quickly went to the stairs and began climbing them up towards the bedroom she left open. The stairs creaking under her. The blue cat's head snapped to the door and the approaching footsteps ...and quickly dove under the old bed just as reddish-brown eyes poked in to see what all the noise was about. Allison completely froze at the clean room and open window presented in front of her. ...Ok! She new for a FACT that she did NOT even go in this room let alone clean and open the window..she slowly walked her way over to the open window and looked out...she didn't see anything but the yard and silent woods around for miles and she certainly didn't see the pink-yellow mitchmatched eyes watching her from under the bed...Until she slowly closed the window and turned around staring..shaking her head before walking away from the room and closing the door behind her. The cat slowly poked his head out from under the bed and chuckled at the situation. The spike of adrenaline from almost getting caught exciting. OH THIS WAS GONNA BE FUN!!

Allison was on edge for the rest of that day. Looking over her shoulder every so while and peeking into rooms. But she didn't get anymore surprises for the rest of the day so she began to relax. Grabbing another sandwhich from the fridge for dinner and making her way back to the bedroom exhausted. She'd been having a whole thing forgetting and cleaning everything and she was all tired and all she wanted to do was just lay back in bed and sleep the night away. Maybe she should sleep in tomorrow and get extra sleep? Might help her memory if she wasn't sleepy. On her way to the stairs she passed the meditating room and something small and blue was sitting on the mat, it waved at her passing bye and not paying attention she waved bac-...Allison froze....Before backtracking and looking back into the empty room....She shook her head and went back to heading to bed. Yeah she was really tired. She didn't see the ripples in the mirror as she climbed the stairs and was soon in the soft bed.

The next day was...normal. She didn't know how long she slept but from the amount of sunlight but she guessed it must've been around nine or ten o'clock. She felt better than yesterday and instead of immediately heading downstairs like last time, she decided to hop into the shower for a quick ten minutes. The warm shower helped her greatly to wake up and when she walked downstarirs it was like all the sleep melted away and left her fresh, she wasn't even feeling that hungry this morning. So when she walked by the kitchen, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until someone spoke.

"Hmhmhm. Good morning, Allison."

"Good morning," She greeted as she walked by.

...

......

...........?!

Wait.... WHAT?!

Allsion slowly backtracked and poked her head into the kitchen. A small floating blue bundle of fur was humming to himself as he sat cross-legged in mid air and waved a paw and in it was a small staff. He pointed it at a cabinet and it opened, out floated a fork before it reclosed and Allison shook her head and blinked at the sight as the fork was directed to the table and set down onto the table where a small plate of pancakes and a glass of milk was waiting. Finally the figure snapped his head around to her and she froze at the gigantic fanged smile across his face and he giggled at her expression.....Until her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she tumbled to the ground-

....."Uh..." What happened? She could feel a throb to her head and her body lay on something soft. It felt like she hit her head against the head against the wall above her and knocked herself back to sleep. God. Did she really move around that much in her sleep? With a groan she sat up and reached a hand up to rub her sore face as she did so. "Crap. That hurt."

"Are you feeling better?~" Her eyes buldged open like those funny googily eye stickers kids buy at the supermarket and she wiped to the back of the couch she was laying on and saw the same blue wide fanged smiled cat blinking at her with a polite smile. "How is your he-" He didn't get to finish when she screamed and fell off the couch with a loud thud. He blinked and cringed away, with ears pinning back to his head and hissing as her scream hurt his hearing. He watched curiously scurried away across the floor before standing up and staring dead at him. "....You know it's quite rude to scream at someone who help you."

"WHO ARE YOU?!...W-WHAT ARE YOU!?," she screamed panicking at this...weird cat looking thing. He wore a small top hat, bowtie, and a suit coat and white dress shirt. 

At being asked the smile and chuckling returned, he stood on his hind legs and reached a paw up to pull his hat off his head and holding his arms out to him. "Come on.~ You know who I am!" She still didn't look convinced as she stared at him scared and confused. "You found me as a meer kitten in the woods hurt and hungry." Nothing. "We were friends before you were sent away for 'school'...whatever school is? Sounds like a prison for children." She might've laughed if she didn't raise a brow at him. ".....My name is Chesire Cat. And YOU Allison Gale and I used to go playing in these backwoods together as children...You really don't remember me?"

Her mind raced with endless questions until a flashback of a blue imaginary friend and many childhood adventures came rushing back to her and her eyes widened. Her face contorting into a blank face as she simply just stared at him, no longer scared or confused just...staring. Did he break her- "C-C-Chesire?" She finally asked limply pointing at him.

"In the flesh!" He tossed the hat back onto his head.

"Who-...What-..HOW?!" She glanced over at nothing and her hands reached her hands up to grab her head, "Ok. This is a dream. This HAS to be a dream."

"'Fraid not! If it was, you would've woken on your bed instead of the couch, Ally!"

"...T-Then I'm hallucinating!! That's it!" She smiled finding a perfectly logical answer. "I-It's all the stress making me crack under the pressure and Im have a relaspe of old memories. O-Or the fumes from the cleaning suppiles are making my brain give hallucinations like a bad dream!"

He rolled his eyes and jumped off the couch into the air before floating to her. "Allsion." She looked at him and froze when his small soft paw pressed to her forehead. "If I was a project of your mind, I wouldn't be able to touch you and you wouldn't feel me would you?" His whole body turned upside down and still smiled at her giggling. "Think about it. If you fainted in the hallway how could've you woken up on the couch if I wasn't real enough to put you there?"

She was just staring there for the longest time before sucking in a breath and going to sit back down on the couch. Facing him and staring at him. They stared at each other for a few moments before she let out a breath. "Ok. ...You're real."

"Obviously.~ I always have been."

"Ok...Then. W-What are you?" He blinked as if confused. "I-I-I mean are you a ghost? Are you an alien? Are you...s-s-some kind of demon or magical fairy cat thing?" She asked her mind spinning with any kind of anwers her logical brain were still working on for an anwer.

"No, no, and certainly not!" He again held his arms out. "You my dear lady are looking at THE Chesire Cat the twenty second!! Great, great, great, great, great times seventeen more times grandson of the famous Cheshire Cat the first and last of my kind!"

"Which is?"

"Im a cheshire! A powerful family helping humans for centuries! We used to help out you humans when you all used to have magic!...I beleived they were called witches." He hummed in thought and tapped his chin. "Ever heard of Alice in Wonderland?" She nodded. "Well, that story was inspired by my world...Or more by our ancient ancestors passed down all the way to us.~"

"...You mean the white rabbit a-a-and talking cards are real too!?"

"White rabbits and talking cards?" He blew a raspberry and waved a hand. "Don't be silly. Of course not! That was the writer improvising for the sake of his story. Though I do wish he made my great, great, great grandfather Cheshire seem less like a mad man."

"You mean he wasn't crazy?" 

"Oh no. He was. Just not in the way he was portrayed."

"...I-I'm so confused."

He took a moment to really look at the stunned woman and his smile slightly vanished. Tiny feet sounded out and he walked like a normal cat and jumped onto the couch next to her,sitting down and smiling at her in a friendly way. "Then let's start where we left off! I haven't seen you since the day you were sent away when we were children. What has become of you to come back here? Not that I mind really. It's good to see a familiar face again."

....She opened her mouth..before closing it and leaning back into the couch cushions with a sigh. "It's a ..l-long story..." She felt him climb onto her lap and unconciously her had came to pet his head like a normal cat. He smiled and purred as she scratched his head. "...Granny would've been so upset seeing me now."

"And why do you say that? Even when she left she seemed othing but happy."

"....Well long story short I fail at everything." Her head tilted up to the ceiling and stared at the white painted wood. "I can't get a job other than a pizza place, no one's interested in a art college dropout, and ....And I can't even support myself without needing help."

"And why would that be a problem?" He looked up at her with those beautiful strange eyes of his and rose a brow. "You're still very young. It's not out of the question to receive a little help from your elders. How old are you anyways? Nineteen?"

"Just turned twenty two about a month ago-"

"One year younger than me!"

She chuckled and shook her head before finally looking down at him. "Well, I don't know where you're from but from the world where I just came from expects you to stand on your own two feet soon. I guess I just didn't meet their expectations."

"Well then don't be sad about THAT!" He jumped from her lap into the air and smiled right in front of her. "You gave your best and couldn't give more. Why should you apologise for that?" He put a hand to his forehead. "Oh boo hoo. I made it all this way and my kind heart lead me to make my grandmother happy in her last few years. SO MUCH SO that I have become the sole heir to her estate!" He smiled back. "If others cannot see the beauty and kindness of the girl who spared my life then what importance are they? You shouldn't need so much negativity in your life."

"...But wha-"

She stopped when a tiny paw was put over her mouth and she blinked as he gave a genuine smile. "My friend. I mean it. No ifs or otherwise. You gave everything for a world and people who didn't relaize what they were offered, you did your best. And now you deserve a good break." He snapped his fingers and a moment later something flew over her head and landed on the small coffee table in front of them and she blinked at the food from before. "I figured you were hungry. So sorry if I scared you earlier but I didn't know you would wake up when you did."

A knowing look came over her and she looked to him suddenly. "Are you the one that was messing with me?"

He giggled. "Yes, yes. Some of my old tricks I used to play on you when we were young."

"You've been helping me clean and feeding me?" He nodded. " Why?"

"You saved my life as a meer kitten. It was the least I could've done in return for you." He pushed the plate towards her. "Here. Eat. It's not as good as some other human's but I think it'll do."

"....I still have so many questions."

"And I will answer them all. Anything for an old friend. But for now. Eat up."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The song sung is Wonderland by Taylor Swift and I do not own the song or it's lyrics. I just switched some words around for the chapter.)

Everything hurt. Everything was dark. He wanted to go home. He wanted his mama. His papa. He wanted them to tell him it would all be ok, that he can just go to bed and everything would be ok when he wakes up. But no. Big fat tears rolled down his face as he kept limping and stepping along the dark forest floor he had already gone through enough trouble of running away from bigger things without food, shelter, or anyone to help his poor self. He was dirty, hurt, hungry, and just wanted it all to stop-

SNAP!!!

A stick snapped under his paw walking down the hill and down he went. Yelping and thumping down the hill as he felt pain explode all over his body, eventually rolling a couple more times at the bottom before landing and stopping on his back where he let out a groan. ...He really regretted going through that magic puddle. All he wanted to go home and- he froze as a shadow fell over him and he popped his eyes open. A shadowed form was standing and leaning over him blinking and staring down at this weird entity as red-brown eyes stared at him. She was just playing sword with a stick and playing priates when she heard the loud crashing and noises coming from the hill behind her. The little girl watched confused as a small blue blur came rolling down the hill and stopped just short of the ship(old log-) she was playing on and heard a couple chokes and groans from the thing that landed so close....Being a curious six year old, she blinked and jumped off the log and trotted through the tall grass over to the small thing that was left unmoving...and gasped. The thing was skinny, so skinny it looked like he hadn't eaten in days and dirty. Very, very dirty. It wore a torn white shirt and crooked now dirty red bow. But being a child, that didn't register to her. Nor did the fact that there couldn't possibly be a natural blue cat. That defies the laws of nature. Oh no, no. All she noticed in her innocent child mind was that there was a small little kitty in front of her. Making her gasp again and his pretty pink and yellow eyes popped open at the gasp.

"A KITTY!!" She flung her arms out excitedly. Dropping the stick and all the thought of fighting imaginary pirates were lost in favor for the idea of a cuddly cute kitty right in front of her. He blinked and tried to skitter away but he wasn't fast enough and yelped in slight pain when the little girl giggled and grabbed him into her arms. Cuddling and rubbing her cheek into the top of his head. He waved his puny paws out trying to escape when she turned around and ran back to the giant white house behind her, cat in arms. Panic and fright completely covering the cat's face as she did. There was a small gate which the little cat-napper squeezed through and ran past a garden of flowers and herbs up to an open back door. A kitchen is what was greeted him and an elderly looking human was cooking over the stove. The sizzling sounds and delicious smells of cooked meats and veggies were in the air as he still wriggled in her arms and tried to get away to no avail. His body was too weak to get away. The little strawberry-blonde girl easily moved him under one arm as she tugged on the older woman's dress. "Granny, Granny!! Look, look, look!!" He held her catch up suddenly to the woman who didn't pay any attention to the small girl. "I found a kitty!!"

The old woman chuckled. There wasn't any cats in these woods. This is just like the time she brought home a rose and said it was the magic rose from Beauty and The Beast fairytale. "Oh really now?", she asked still cooking the food.

"Uh Huh!! He's pretty and blue and has pretty eyes." He was struggling harder when she brought him back in to be hug attacked. "Can I keep him!? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!! I promise to love him, feed him, and play with him!!"

The grandmother chuckled more before waving a hand off. "Of course you can keep the blue kitty. Just make sure he stays out of trouble now. Now go wash up. Lunch is almost done."

The little girl gasped and jumped. "YAY!! Thank you, Granny!!" The grandmother chuckled as she heard the little girl dash away upstairs. Ah. Children. What will she think of next? The little girl held the still struggling kitten out from her as he lightly hissed at her and pulled at those hands holding him. "You're really dirty kitty. You need a bath."

"No! Let me go human!"

She gasped and her eyes widened more. "You can talk?!"

"PUT ME DOWN!!"

He couldn't escape her grip when she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind them, walking over to the bathtub and turning on the water. He bristled with a startled meow and lept to get away to no avail as she huffed and put him over the quickly filling water. Dropping him in with a splash. He instantly felt cold water rush over his sore body and when he popped back up he spat water out and turned to glar- A sponge was pressed to his face with a wet SPLAT!! and he sputtered and pushed against her hand as she rubbed it all over his head and giggled. 

"You're really messy, Kitty."

"My name's not Kitty!!" His tiny paws pushed the hand and sponge away and scowled at her. "I happen to be Chesire Cat the twenty second!" He smiled proudly and threw his front paws out making her giggle. 

"Im Allison! Are you hungry kitty?"

"CHESIRE!! And yes. Im quite hungry from not eating for three days, and if you have any milk that'd also be very nice of you."

She giggled again before scrubbing the top of his head, "Ok, Kitty. You're really small."

He grumbled. "Cheshire....and hanks I think?..It that a human compliment?"

She continued giggling and scubbing the cat in the tub, at one point tugging the horrible clothes off him and supplying him with a new tiny green shirt from one of her teddies. He dragged himself out of the tub all wet and skinny looking with the went fur being weighed down on his body so he shook himself. SHe giggled at the water droplets spraying all over her before plopping a towel on himself and picking him up wrapped like a baby. The new shirt was greatly appreciated but he thought it clashed with his own natural blue fur. But he refused to go down to dinner. Even if food was involved he didn't trust anymore tall humans, he didn't need any more of them. But he was still thankful when she managed to bring back a plate of food and milk. Her granny loved to spoil her and let her eat in her room if she really wanted. And if she really wanted to 'feed her new kitty' then she wasn't about to stop her imagination. He happyily took everything from her and down it in a matter of minutes. His stomach felt SO much better now that it wasn't empty as an abandoned house.

"You're really hungry, Kitty." She pet his head and he flinched....before he purred and arched his back as she giggled. 

"C-Chesire...but I must thank you for everything. It's certainly been a while since a creature showed me any kindness, especially in this world. You probably saved my life. Tell me. Where am I?"

She tilted her head at his words. "Uh....I don't know. The woods?"

"Fair enough. Well then, Allison was it?" She nodded and he smiled for the first time in a while. "Well, Allison. You've taken me into your home and feed and cleaned me. You possibly saved my life today and I am in your debt. But could I have more food if it's not asking too much. I haven't eaten in a few days and Im still hungry."

More giggling. "Ok, Kitty!"

"...I see we'll have to work on that."

***************************************************************************************************************

"Allsion?"

"Hm?" She looked up and blinked at the floating cat who giggled at her confused face.

He booped her nose. "Silly humans spacing off. I was asking you what you were thinking about?"

"Oh! Just..I'm thinking about what happened all those years ago." She took another bite of the pancakes. He was right, they weren't perfect. The bottom pancake was a little burnt and it tasted like he might've not added eough milk to the batter, but she wasn't going to rudely refuse a meal made for her by an old friend who happened to be a magical floating talking blue cat in a half suit. She watched as he once again landed but this time sat on the small coffee table in front of her with a smile. ''Uh...So. All those fairytales really came from your world?"

He nodded before pausing and shaking his head no. "Well it's a yes and no. Most of the ancient stoires you humans have come to known were actual events in MY world. But not ALL!! Frankenstien, The Princce and the Pauper, Romeo and Juliet are some examples of the not ones. Those were definately written by humans." He counted on his fingers as he spoke. And she rose a brow curious.

"well which ones did?"

He shrugged. "I do not know ALL of them because no one has ever told me of them all. BUT!!" He smiled even more proudly. "Your human creativity has helped shape my world! After all it only came into existance once humans started using their imagination to create."

"Really?! Wow. It sounds amazing...But tell me what stories ARE true about your world then? The ones you know."

He hummed and looked at the ground for a moment as his tail thumped against the table behind him. "Oh a few you might know. Red Riding Hood. Goldielocks. I know her great, great granddaughter Blondy. Nice young lady. But I do know all the ones the Brothers Grim write were true."

She stared at him...and blinked before holding up her hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!! What a second. Are you trying to tell me THE famous Brothers Grim, the ones who originally wrote all those fairytales, actually wrote real events that happened?! In your world?!"

"YEP!!" He said bluntly.

"So Cinderella? With the glass slippers and step mother?"

"True."

"A-And Snow white with the apple?"

"I heard her great something nephew still has the recipe! Though I wouldn't recommend eating it."

"The Gingerbread man!!" "That witch accidentally used a living potion in the recipe to bring him to life." "SLEEPING BEAUTY?!" "Oh yes! Because she slept so wrong she doesn't have as many descendants as others. A few granchildren at most." "PIED PIPER!! PINNOCIO!! MARY AND HER LITTLE LAMB!! THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF!!"

"All as real as myself!! And Im standing before you!!" He chuckled but hummed. "But there was a few that came to life on their own."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well sometimes if a fairytale or story becomes very influencial and impires human enough after a while they'll just-" He made a pop noise while jabbing a hand up in the air. "They'll just randomly show up one day."

"How does THAT happen?!"

He shrugged. "It's a wonder. That's why our world is called Wonderland. It's shaped and formed by the wonders you humans made, though the worlds much rather stay seperate. It's for the best if a bunch of nosey humans didn't try to travel. My world's magic works in mysterious ways not to be tampered with. "

She nodded her head. "Yeah. I saw one too many movies where someone messed with magic and it backfired, probably for the best...Hey. Wait a minute." She looked back to him and pointed. "Then how did you get here in the first place?? And how in the world did someone like the famous writers get into your world?"

He giggled and pointed a paw behind her, she looked over her shoulder at where he was pointing an rose a brow as he pointed to the meditating room. "Through the looking glass.~ My own personal portal. No one can get in or out except if I allow it."

"...The what?"

"The looking glass. You humans call them mirrors." She blinked and the mirror gleamed back at her, as if beckoning her to come closer and touch it- She shook her head and looked back to him with a small look of understanding and he chuckled. "That's how they got in. Not my personal one of course, but sometimes a random human stumbles their way in via magic hidden portal and would have to leave before the Heart Family got wind of them." His eyes narrowed and he chuckled a little darker at the thought. "I'm not surprised such famous magic explorers like them found one, they're lucky to have escaped with the help of Mother Goose."

"...Who?"

"Mother Goose. Bless her heart. She was a very famous hisrtorian of my world. Told the brothers ALL about our history. Same with the man who wrote the Famous Wonderland book!! "

"This is a lot to unpack but it's....Also really cool in a way." She smiled...but a sudden thought made her stop..and she looked at him. He tilted his head and blinked at her in confusion still smiling. "You said you were around here when Granny was taken to the nursing home right?" He nodded and guilt set in. "Were you.....Just sticking around waiting for me to comes back this entire time?"

He blinked this time. "ME?!" His pointed to him before shaking his head and waving his hands at her. "Oh, no, no, no. Im not the kind to simply sit and wait around like a dog. I had other things to keep me entertained back home once I found out how to channel my energy into a portal!" With a wave of his paw he summoned his small staff and stood on his hind legs before leaning against it. Like a small human would. "I learnt lots of tricks while waiting for my best friend to return!! Such creative minds to work wonders again!!"

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. ''You're a magic talking cat that comes from the land of fairytales and nursery rythmes. Is there anything else that should be pointed out?"

"I can sing, too.~"

"Sing?" He had gotten her interest.

He chuckled. "Yes. And you used to be my partner remember? When we would make up songs and sing along together!!" He snapped his fingers. "SAY!! Why don't we sing a small duet again for old times sake?!"

She huffed and pointed to herself. "Me? Sing? No offense but I'd have better luck taming a lion then I would at singing."

"Oh pish posh. Here! I'll start one we used to sing all the time." He then without warning brought his staff up and lightly slammed it to the table. It stayed stuck when he let go and then the red ball on top suddenly lit up. What sounded like static rang out and he looked to her with another giggled as she gazed in wonder. "I'll lead. You join."

"Oh, no. I-"

She stomped when a beautiful piano song played from the staff and Chesire reached up to straighten his bowtie as he cleared his throat. "Flashing lights and we took a long turn and we fell down a rabbit hole.~" His voice was surprisingly very smooth as she blinked at him and he smiled even wider. "You held on tight to me, cuz nothing's as it seems.~ Spinning out of control!~" This time he jumped up and to her only lightly surprise his head came off his shoulders before being pulled back onto his shoudlers. Yeah. She remembered that. ....She also started to slowly remember a few certain instances with the brave kitten going to couragiously save the princess in their adventures...This song in particular was one that they'd enjoy and she smiled a little wider. "Didn't they tell us don't rush into things?~ Didn't you flash your red eyes eyes at me?~ Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds?~ Oh! Didn't it all seem new and exciting?~ I felt your arms twisting around me.~" He hugged himself and lightly moved his body from side to side smiling as she giggled and smiled more. Before he closed one eye. "I should've slept with one eye open tonight!~" He suddenly pointed both arms out towards out gesturing to her. "We found Wonderland. You and I got lost in it! And we pretended it could last forever!~" His arms threw themselves up as he 'jumped' up higher in the middle of floating. "We found Wonderland. You and I got lost in it!~ And life was never worse but never better!~" The music continued to play as he nodded yes and made a 'come on' motion with his paws. Obviously trying to encourage her to sing along.

She looked sheepishly down to the floor and he rose a brow and tilted his head. Hmm. She was obviously bashful, and not one of those dwarfs. Well maybe she'd be feeling it in a bit. He wasn't about to pressure her.

"In wonderland!~" He continued to sing and still held at least one paw out to her. "In Wonderlaaaaand.~ In wonderland!~ In Wonderlaaaaaand!~" He suddenly stood as if getting ready to walk. "So we went on our way!~ Too happy to think straight!~ All alone or so it seeeeemed.~ " He suddenly put his hand over on his forehead as if he was looking far away at something. "But there were strangers watching-" And then he made a blabbing mouth motion with the other paw. "-and whispers turned to talking." He suddenly threw his arms out and looked up towards the ceiling like those famous ballerina pose but his head came. "And talking turned to Screeeeaaammss!!~ OH!" 

She blinked at the sudden smooth high note, wow he had REALLY gotten better since they were children definately. But he suddenly snapped into a position with his head held in his hands as he looked at her, his body and especially his tail thumping to the beat as he sang.

"Didn't they tell us don't rush into things?~ Didn't you flash your red eyes at me-"

"Didn't you calm my fears with a chesire cat smile?~," she sang asked him back and he was admittedly caught off guard for a moment. Keeping his smile and blinking...before his smile widened as did hers and he resumed bouncing to the beat of violins, pianos, and other intruments.

"Didn't it seem all new and exciting?~ "

"I felt your arms twisting around me.~" She sang the next verse and he smiled before raising a slightly smug brow. "It's all fun and games until someone looses their minds.~"

He giggling at that before another calm verse came in the song. "But Darling, We. Found. Wonderland." He again held out both arms towards her. "You and I got lost in it.~ And we pretended it could last forever!~ "

"We found wonderland!~" Both were now singing the same verses as their voices collided in one duet like so long ago and a familiar feeling of happiness washed over them both as they sang in harmony. "You and I got lost in it! And life was never worse but never better!~ In wonderland!" This time they both threw their arms up for the fun of it. "In wonderlaaaaand!~ " He looked at her smiling and with still a slightly embarrased flush to her face. "In wonderland!" She looked back to him as they sang what was supposed to be the last verse. "In Wonderlaaaaand!~"

"I reached for you, but you were gone.~" He blinked slightly in surprise as she kept singing with a strange look in her eyes. Not bad or dangerous just...there. Even thought she still smiled and looked happy as he silently watched. "I knew I had to get back home.~ I searched the world for something else to make me feel like what we had and in the end I just went mad.....Oh I found wonderland and I just got lost from it. And I pretended it coudn't be there.~ I found wonderland and I just got lost from it. Life was never worse but never better.~"

The sad tone in her voice was mad evident in the way her eyes was starting to shine and she sniffed. Until two little paws grabbed her cheeks and she looked back up into the blue face of the cat.

"You found wonderland.~ And got back lost in it.~" A hankerchief appeared in his paw when he pulled back and waved it, and presented it to her. "And we will make sure it'll last forever!~ You found Wonderland!~ And got back lost in it! And life was maybe worse but now better!~ In Wonderlaaand!~"

She knew he switched up those lyrics to help comfort her as tears started to flow and she happily took the human sized hankercheif from him as any music stopped and she wiped her now crying face as more tears and a choke came out.

"I-I'm so sorry. I-I-It's been so hard." She hiccuped and looked to him. Even though his smile was still there his eyes had sypathy. "I haven't been this happy in such a long time. And now I feel terrible for forgetting you and making you wait so long!!" She took a deep breath between the hiccups. "Everything seemed like it was against me all the time and I feel absolutely worthless not being able to do anything!! And I miss my granny!" Something soft suddenly hugged her and she didn't question it when she hugged Chesire back and continued to cry as he patted her shoulder.

"There, there.," he conforted. "It's ok to cry. That what all the famous princesses and other folk did. Trial and errror are a real fact of life anywhere, but you shouldn't be afraid of asking for help. So don't feel bad for trying to live out your life." He smiled wider and patted her back more. " It could be a lot worse. You're a very lucky human as far as the ones I've seen. You could've lost your creativity and kind heart in this big world. Im glad you didn't, and Im sure your grandmother would've been so proud of you, Allison."

She smiled despite the feelings crashing over her and held the small cat closer to herself. "T-T-Thank y-you.....I m-miss you."

"I missed you too, Old friend."


	4. Chapter 4

It was....good to have someone around to talk to again wouldn't you agree? Someone who didn't expect a lot out of her, someone who she could laugh with, sing silly songs with, and ...be herself around again. Now don't get her wrong. It certainly didn't happen overnight now. She still was grasping at the sudden and huge concept that her old memories weren't just childish adventures of an imaginary friend and a whole bunch of the fairy tales and nursery rythmes she grew up with were actually real..or well WERE real, Chesire did mention that most of them were ancient history just repeated and long ago over, but I digress. She was expecting one of these days to just wake up and everything be gone and back to her normal life, but then she'd find breakfast made and waiting for her or finding Chesire all curled up beside her sleeping. He was kinda like a pet cat of her own that doubled as a best friend she could talk to and let reveal about her life. But some things were a little frustrating. One day she stacked books neatly on a shelf- Only to rush back into the room by the sounds of books falling down one by one and saw the site of Chesire looking wide eyed at the books and like a cat in those videos, was pawing the books off one by one. He seemed to snap out of it when she shouted at him to stop and apologized before snapping his powers and having them fly back into place. She told him he didn't have to use all this magic and cook for here but in his own words:

"You fed me. You gave me a home. You became my friend and showed me kindness when a lot of people wouldn't. I could have easily died. This is the very least I could do and it'll still be never enough in my opinion. Now hush and help me decide which scones looks better with this tea. I like macaroons. So sweet and delicious!"

He wasn't there sometimes and a few days he didn't show up, when asked he simply told her he had to spend some time in his world too, which she respected. He wasn't obligated to stay around if he didn't feel up to it and she certainly knew that she would be ok-ish without him. There was plenty of things to keep her busy, she still had the whole yard and fence to recover, and a job to find, didn't she? Which went about well as you think. Said fence was old and rusty and leaned in odd places, she had to REALLY put her back into it to push the awkward rusty poles into place, which left her pretty sore for the rest of the day. But the next day she stepped out to the smell of freshly cut grass and the sight of a tamed lawn and new white painted fence had taken it's place. When questioned he admitted to it, but only because she looked really hurt and tired trying to do it herself. It took a moment to explain to a confused talking cat that she REALLY DID appreciate his help but sometimes she WANTED to endorse the hard labor and he just tilted his head confused and blinked at her.

"I don't understand your human logistics. You could just as easily have me snap my fingers and everything you desire done will be finished in due time."

"It's not that! I mean it WOULD be nice to have everything fixed back up to the way it was, but humans, well most humans anyways, enjoy working for something. It makes us feel better getting it."....He cocked his head more and rose a brow obviously still confused and she face palmed, how does she explain this in a more simpler terms so a fairytale otherworldly cat would understand??...She looked back up at him dragging a hand down her face. "....OK! Lets go with one example. Uh...Um...Y-You know the story of Cinderella right?"

"Absolutely! Her glass slippers are still passed down in her family! Her great great niece looks so nice in them."

She rose a brow but shook her head and held up her hands. "Ok! Well you know how her fairy godmother granted her wish of going to the ball and meeting her future husband?" He nodded his head, of course he knew that. "Ok. Well you know why the fairy godmother did that right? It's because Cinderella worked hard everyday of her life and made an effort to be kind all the time, which with a step family like hers, it must've been hard. It's the same with most humans. Getting everything just handed to us on a silver platter without having to work for it just seems wrong, like there was no real effort to put into it to actually earn it. It's not about getting it done fast, it's just about that feeling of earning something." She pointed to herself. "I want to fix up the house and while I appreciate your attempts, and not in anyway discrediting you for what you've already done for me or for wanting to help, I want to be able to stand on my own two feet and show I can fix up the whole place." 

He stood(Floated in the air-) and stared at her as she explained to him her feelings on the matter and hummed after a few seconds of it being done. "So....In order for humans to in their opinion earn something and be worthy of it they must work hard for it?"

She smiled and nodded. "Now you're getting it! After all an easy reward wouldn't be very good." She wracked her mind for another example. "Uh...Like let's say a princess has a whole bunch of suitors, and then she gets kidnapped by a dragon, and then a knight finds her, defeats the dragon, and worked very hard to rescue her. Wouldn't that make the knight more worthy to marry her than all the others?"

He looked at her thoughtfully, before nodding with a smile. ''Now that you mention it, it does seem you humans have more noble qualities than I thought.~"

She chuckled. "Now you get it. Besides wouldn't it get a bit annoying if everyone just asks you to use your magic to fix all their problems?"

He hummed, "I never thought of it like that before. Yes. I suppose it would get very annoying, I have other things to do with my magic than play life savior all the time."

"There you go! Now you're getting it! You can still help if you want to and I won't make you, but leave some stuff for me to do. Ok?"

He nodded and now that they had a better understanding she had less surprises. In fact she was made to make her own meals now, which she didn't mind cuz y'know independence in all, but now she could also show Chesire some of the recipes she picked up. He never even heard of a lemon marange pie until she made it for him and he puckered from the lemon flavor. Understandable. Not everyone enjoyed lemon, but things got a bit confusion when she tried to make pineapple upside down cake. She made it all the way and turned her back away from it for a second when she turned back and almost had a heart attack from Chesire using his magic to hold in place upside-down.

"What are you doing?!"

"Helping you with the recipe. I don't think you'll be able to make it stay upside down on your own will you?"

"T-That's not...Wait." She blinked. "Your Upside down cakes are ACTUALLY upside down?"

"Of course they are! It wouldn't make sense for it NOT to be. What's the point of having an upside-down cake if it's not made properly?"

"Huh. You'll have to show me your world sometime."

"Really?!" His tone radiated excitement as that idea was thrown at him and he giggled. "What a splendidly marvelous idea!! You could take my portal but...perhaps it would be better if not. There is dangers still left to be undangered."

"What do you mean?"

''Hopefully you'll never find out. Now let's cut this open! Im starving so to speak."

She let that one slide since no real harm was done. But he was still asking a few questions about her world that still didn't make much sense to her but it seemed he was used to different forms of things which was all but fine. The real things she was concerned with was the restoration of the garden and repainting the house. She didn't know if the roof was ok after all this time, but she guessed she was finally gonna find out wasn't she? She had been working on the back of the house for a few days now. As well as one could with old rusty garden tools and a small cat who found more fun in playing with the tossed weeds than helping her, but she didn't ask for his help and like before he was being more considerate in wanting to let her do her thing. She wasn't sure how many times she fell down on her behind trying to pull weeds out or tripped over another giant root in her granny's old flower bed. But all of that was put on hold when the first giant black storm clouds appeared and thunder gave out a warning of what was to come. Which came in the form of rain just a few seconds after. Chesire bristled and gave a startled meow as he jumped into her arms, and she ran like a bear chasing bees back into the safety of the house. Barging in just in time as the speed was starting to pick up the pace and rain down harder. Which left them now in this situation. Curled up on the couch, warm fuzzy blanket around her shoulder, and a purring magical cat curled up in her lap. And phone in hand. Her unlimited data plan was great for unlimited internet, though it was a little glitchy. One of the better things she did in her life. Might as well search for a job. I mean. She didn't have a car, and she couldn't just walk all the way to and from town everyday...And she already felt guilty for everything Chesire already done. If she found an online job then that meant she didn't have to walk all that way and could save up for a car and maybe get a job in the nearest town or something. After a while of surfing the web, a blue head popped back up and smiled at the strange blue screen. 

"And what is this I wonder?"

"Hm?" She blinked and looked at him as he stared at the phone. "Oh. It's my phone. Im trying to find an online job but so far no luck. If my luck runs out I'll just try to open art commissions I guess."

....He blinked. "A...'phone'? What is that?"

"Oh, well it's a..Uh.." How do you explain to fairytale cat what a electronic phone is?....Maybe she should use another fairytale reference as an example? "Well...You know how magic mirrors or crystal balls show us stuff like other people and answer questions? L-Like the mirror in the Snow White story? You know how she would ask it every day 'Who's the fairest in the land?'''

"OH! So you have a small hand held magical mirror!"

She shrugged. "Sort of. It lets me talk to people, watch things, see fair away places, answer questions-"

"So it's more of a fortune teller's ball?" He nodded with a thoughtful look. "I understand now. I know of a great fortune teller where I am from! The descendent of the oh so wise Mr. Caterpillar!"

"That's one way of putting it." 

That was probably the best she was ever going to get to explaining what a phone was to him- A flash of lightning flashed outside lit up the entire room along with a roar of thunder that shook the glass of the windows. Chesire bristled more and leaned back further into her blankets shielding the two from the cold air. She comfortly reached out to pat the poor slightly shaking fellows back and sighed. She didn't blame him for being scared of rain. After all she wasn't enjoying this anymore than him....Then she got an idea. She smiled and tapped the top of his head to get him to look up at her.

"Hey. You like tea right? How about I go make you a cup?"

He blinked slightly surprised up at her. "Really? Y-You'd do that for me? In this dire time? ...Oh, no, no, no. I couldn't ask you to do that for me. I'll be fine."

Her brow rose. "It would be the least I could do for all the things you've done for me. Here." She gently put her arms around him, enough to lift him off the couch and picked him up just as she stood up.Blanket falling of Allison's shoulder as she turned back around and placed the small cat back to where she was sitting just a moment ago. He blinked as said fuzzy blankets was drapped the top of his head and around him. Almost like a swaddled baby. She straightened back up and glanced back down at him. "There! Now don't you go anywhere. It'll only take like ten minutes tops." She slipped her phone into her back pocket. "Besides. I know I could use a warm drink right now."

He chuckled. But it was short lived by another loud thunder that shook the windows again and Chesire gave a startled 'Mmmrowl' and ducked under the blanket turning into a shaking lump under it. But that's not what made her stop and pause. A loud clanking sound itself heard before stopping after a bit. What was that? ANother loud thunder sound shaking the windows another soft but loud metal tapping noise and she snapped her head in the direction the sound was coming from...Sure enough ANOTHER thunder clapping. Another shaking. AND ANOTHER METAL NOISE!

"H-Hey. Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?! I hear nothing but the sound of absolutely silence u-under here!"

Well he wasn't going to be much help was he? She rolled her eyes and looked- BOOM!! Another shaking. What was up with this giant storm!? Seriously?! And another tapping sound. This time DEFINATELY from her Granny's old meditation room. Raising a brow, she cautiously began slowly walking her way over there. The dimly lit room and rain outside wasn't helping her whole horror movie scenario running through her head as she got closer and closer. When she was finally in there...She saw nothing. Lightning lit up the entire room as ran still poured buckets outside. ....Then where was- Another thunder slammed the skies and shook the windows. Which also shook another thing. The giant mirror hanging on the wall tapped against it swaying violently and made the same tapping sound she had heard before. She gasped and ran to it. Not actually touching it when she got there but holding her arms out as if ready to catch this thing. It looked too big and heavy to lift by her tiny self, but it looked so freely hanging from the wall that it could fall and shatter into a million pieces at any moment. Which is what scared her. 

Her head snapped over her shoulder. "Chesire!! The mirror's about to fall! Help me put it back into place will ya?!"

The shaking lump stopped shaking in an instant. All fear of ran and thunder and lightning pushed aside and that blue head snapped up and out of the blanket wide eyed. "THE MIRROR?! ALLISON, NO!!" He leapt from the couch and zoomed towards the tiny room. "WHATEVR YOU DO, DONT TOUCH THE MIRROR!!"

The rest of his warning was drowned out as thunder once again rang out and shook the house, this time there was no tapping as the mirror jumped off the nail and as she watched in horror as he fell on her, she thought she could hear Chesire shout 'Allison!!'. As it consumed her. A giant shattering of glass was heard as shiny shards spilt to the floor in the place the girl once stood, and shined when lightning struck the entrance way. A heavily breathing cat was floating there for a moment staring in absolute horror at the mess on the floor. He snapped two it. Little paws pushing around a few pieced before lifting up the mirror and still seeing no strawberry blonde woman. His paws went to clutch his head as the realization hit him harder than any lightning. 

"By tea and biscuits...WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"


	5. Chapter 5

Ever heard of the sport sky diving? If not, how about paragliding? Or parachuting? Either way all those sports had something in common. All of them involved jumping or 'falling' from very high heights but with the safety of a hang glider, or parachute, or some other form of safety proceedures. Or the very least a helmet.

THIS IS NOT WHAT SHE WANTED TO BE DOING THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

She couldn't quite grasp what was exactly happening as she flailed about and her hair whipped around her. One moment she was standing on solid ground and the next she was suddenly falling through the air and spinning out of control! Was this Chesire's idea of a joke?! If it was then this was NOT funny at all! She flipped with a yelp and was now facing downwards, making her hair whipped behind her freeing her face and she screamed as a giant grandfather clock flew passed her, her head twisting to follow it as it rocketed up...Wait. A CLOCK?! She looked back and wish she hadn't when she rapidly blinked at the absolute downwards spiral of BRIGHT orange-pink funnel stared back at her while she was falling down it- She yelped and moved aside as a teacup. A TEACUP!! Of all things flew past her next. Followed by another, then a matching teapot, then a matching tea tray, silver tea spoons, and the rest of a whole tea set. What the heck!? In the distance more objects started to whizz past her as she continued to free fall to whatever this thing lead to. Was this what Chesire experienced everytime he used the mirror?....HOLY COW WATCH OUT!! A book, thankfully not a very thick one, hit her forehead before continuing on past her and she thought the air pushing her to clutch the spot where it hit her for a second. Yelping again when she did a flip in mid air and was falling but now in the position as if bridal style. Her hair still whipping upwards from her head. Her red eyed looking around at the now clutter of things as they whizzed by her. Chairs, tables, tea sets, books, paintings, hourglasses, watches!! You name it it was there-

"OOF!!"

Her body finally stopped when her body landed in a chair right under her and paused. The chair with the new weight starting going downwards slower than she previously was falling, watching as things kept floating up past her and she gripped the chair. Hands digging into the cushioned arms of the chair, pulled her legs towards her body, and her head snapping around looking at everything as she breathed heavily.

"CHESIRE!?," She shouted at the top of her lungs horrified. It echoed around this whole magical tunnel thing and repeated back to her, and was the only reply back to her, "CHESIRE!? HELP!! T-T-THIS ISN'T FUNNY!! IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY SCARY!!" Still no sounds but the funny echoes and the ticking of clocks going past her. Her eyes darting around at all the objects flying past and growing ever more scared. "O-O-OK!! HAHA!! V-VERY FUNNY!! NOW KNOCK THIS OFF!!"

Clink!

"HA!!" She scrambled back into the chair when something bumped into her arm which she wretched to her side...and she blinked. "...O-Oh?" 

It was just a tall vase with umbrellas sticking out of it in stripped patterns. She sighed but paused again at the giant sign also sticking out of the vase. In bright silver letters it read: 'Wonderland Tunnels. Please take one umbrella for all your traveling needs.' And she blinked....Wonderland Tunnels? What the heck was that? Was this the passageway to Chesire's home he spoke of? ...Those eyes blinked back down at the umbrellas offered, and the vase wasn't moving from it's spot next to her. She didn't know what compelled her to slowly reach her hand back out. To slowly wrap it around one red handle that stuck out to her. To then pull it out and look at it's dark and light red stripes...And blinked. This was a way of traveling? What was she supposed to do? Pop it open and Mary Poppins this thing? She got her answer when the thing, ON IT'S OWN, popped open with a giant WHOOSH!! sound. It was like a giant gust of wind just forced her forward and back into the air. Her arm hurt from the giant yank on her arm and on instinct her other hand came over to clutch at the handle for dear life. The strangest thing was that she was being driven downwards which is NOT where she wanted to go!! Her body being swung back and forth like some ragdoll and she was scared she might be flung off to who knows where.

As she drove deeper and deeper into the unknown, all of a suddenly things were starting to spiral out of control. The random clocks, tea sets, and other things were starting to whizz past her faster and faster. And she was spinning and spinning faster and faster out of control as her surroundings became nothing but swirls of bright colors that was making her head hurt and her arms REALLY hurt from the amount of strain they were using to hold on! So she closed her eyes as soon as the bright light became too much! Her stomach felt like throwing up that breakfast she had and only spun faster and faster. Her fingers finally loosening their grip slowly.

Slowly.

....Slower...

.....Slower..

SLOWER!!

She screamed when her body was flung down like she was fired flom a slingshot down into the center of a bright light and polka dots exploded behind her eyes. A giant blue screen covered in white polka dots appeared before here and she blinked. They were still there. It took her a moment to realize it was a giant something she was headed right towards and she flailed her arms out, making herself tumbled heads over heels out of control again and hitting her side into the giant soft, rubbery thing with a giant SMACK sound. Pain exploded onto her side but her journey wasn't done when Allison began rolling down the hill like platform and grunted and tried to get her dizzy body to stop but didn't. Allison felt sick, dizzy, and hurt- She screamed again when she fell off the giant thing and fell down what must've been another one or two stories before landing on her back on another rubbery hill, knocking the wind outta her. Only this one was pink with yellow polka dots. And again her body rolled and fell down an impressive amount of space before her body smacked against ANOTHER one but this time the hill was all green...She made a screeching sound, like that cartoon noise affect when the cartoon character smacked against the window and slowly went down against it, as she lowered down the smaller hill. Until with a final smack, she fell to the ground face first like a limp ragdoll.

.....

......

......*COUGH*!!

A hand slowly came to shakily clutch at the ground she was flopped against and Allison's head slowly lifted itself from the ground and coughed again. The ground beneath her was soft with small bright green grass, she spat out a couple blades of it and groaned before slowly sitting herself painfully up. Strawberry blonde hair blocked the view of the human girl as she put her hand to her back and stretched her pained body with a couple pops. Oh sweet mother of frick! That fall hurt worse then the time she tripped and fell into her cousins kiddy pool. Her stomach still felt quesy and her head dizzy, so she remained propped up against her knees and finally pushed her hair away from her face-

"OW!!" Her hands flew up to clutch the top of her head as something hit it and then fell to the ground in front of her with a thud. She cursed under her breath and looked down to notice it was the same red umbrella that flung her into this place. She angrily glared at it, before grabbing the thing by her red lap having intentions to throw it-...WAIT!! Red...lap? Those eyes blinked down to her body and to her utter SHOCK her baggy sweats and tank top were GONE. For a moment she thought her dizzy brain was just playing trips on her, but no. She was staring at a DRESS that was the same pattern of bright and dark red stripes as the umbrella she held- She noticed her arms next and held them out extended to see. SWEET MOTHER OF TEA!! She was wearing long gloves to match! Forgetting her dizzy mind and stomach, she quickly made to stand on her wobbly legs and feet. Yep. Red shoes and red and white stripped leggings to match this whole ridiculous get up. What the what?! Allison looked back up from wince she dropped and absolutely froze. ".....Oh no.."

Everything. Was. GINORMOUS!! 

The 'hills' she fell and rolled down weren't hills but the top of GIANT mushrooms!! The white undersides and stems were about as big as a skyscraper and the trees surrounding her were even bigger!! THEY WERE PLANETS COMPARED TO HER!! But the grass was small, just like regular grass back home which was the strange part in all this. The sky was a purple blue and seemed to be endless as she just stared at it.....This was not her home! Her hands dropped the umbrella and immediately began patting her now dress and THANKFULLY found what she wanted. She nearly dropped the phone as she hastily took it out and fumbled to get it up and working. The screen came on but when she tapped a button to use her wifi....a small notisfication came up reading 'Error. Connection not found'. She held it up and swung it in a few different directions, but ultimately gave up when the screen didn't change. Not that calling would've helped her anyways. Chesire didn't even know what a phone was let alone know how to use it, and no one on the outside of this world could've been helpful here. WIth a groan she stuck it back into whatever pocket this goofy dress provided her and sighed. Now what was she gonna do-

"HEY!! Watch where you're going you numbskull?!," a high pitched squeaky voice sounded out. She jumped and blinked, whirling her head around looking for anyone but no one was there- "Look down you human!!" She did and yelped taking a few steps back. Staring up at her was a small mouse wearing a dress of all things and glaring at her angrily. "Who do you think you are stomping over someone's home like that?! Don't you know how to watch where you're going?! Humans! I swear it's all the same every time one of you drops in here!"

"I-.....I-I'm sorry?" Allison shook her head and looked back down at the mouse like she wasn't really there for a second and she would wake up from a dream. But said mouse was still there and not going anywhere anytime soon it looked like. "W-What exactly are you?"

"Well you should be!" The small mouse put her hands on her hips. "This is the fifth time this week someone almost stepped on me! First that weird knight, then the Marsh Hare TWICE, then some weird looking frog prince, and now a HUMAN of all things!! And Im a DOORMOUSE!! Haven't you ever seen one before!?"

"I-I no! No, no!!" She held up her friends. "T-To be honest, Im not even from around here...Where ever here is?"

The mouse rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Typical humans. This is Wonderland. Where else would we be?"

She blinked. Wonderland? So that's where she was. Chesire's home, this is nothing like any kind of thing she would've imagined. Allison looked back up the way she came. There wasn't any signs of any portals above the giant mushrooms she fell on, so where did she go from here? She looked back to the mouse. "Do you know how I can get back home?"

"Just walk to where you live!"

She shook her head. "No! NO! I-I'm not from here. NOT. FROM. WONDERLAND!! I need to find another portal or...o-or something."

"What do I look like?! A map!?"

She groaned and flung her arms out. "Isn't there ANYTHING you can tell me that could help me?!"

The small mouse thought for a moment before shaking her head. "You want my advice?" Allison nodded desperately. And then the mouse pointed to the right of them. "Find that Crazy Hatter and his rabbit friend. They know practically everyone there is to know around these parts! Just follow the small blue mushrooms until you come across the fork in the road the signs should point you in the right direction!" She turned to scowl at the umbrella dropped next to her and lightly kicked it. "And take your ride! We don't appreciate litter around here!" 

She looked to where the mouse had pointed and sure enough there was a string of small glowing blue mushrooms starting from the base of a giant tree a little ways from her and starting going north. And she smiled. Well it's a start. She turned back to the mouse. "Thanks-"

She stopped seeing the mouse scurry a little ways from her but stopped and looked back to her. "If I were you I'd get out of here as fast as I can. This is giant country and they don't fair too well with humans. Not since one stole their Gold laying goose, and another became a famous giant slayer. Those Jack Brothers left a baaaad taste in their mouths.'' She turned back around and began scurrying off until Allison couldn't see her anymore.

Allison stared after her for a good while before reaching down to regrab the umbrella. Looking at it before around at her surroundings and gulping. Well, she wasn't about to stick around and wait for a giant to come fee, fie, foe, thumbing to grind her bones to make their bread or whatever giants did. She turned and took a breath. Allison really had no choice did she? The woman slowly began making her way in the direction of the blue mushrooms. She didn't notice the small rose hidden away in the bushes with a small face lean out from the bush....before leaning back over and whispering to another flower. Then that flower whispered to another. And rinse in repeat as the message of a human falling in was on it's was to who knows where.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The song sung by Mad Hatter and Marsh Hare is Freaks by Jorden Clarke and is in no way shape or form mine.)

The gigantism of the trees and other things started to thin out into normal looking denser woods. She guessed she must've landed on the very edge of the giant's forest and she thanked her lucky stars that she didn't run into any, but she had to take a couple breaks every few ....how long was she at this now? A few hours at most. She lost count after the fourth or fifth GIANT tree she had to walk/speed walk past. She wanted out of that place as soon as possible, but the downside of that was having to take a break every so while and her feet hurting now. She had tried using this umbrella she'd been lugging around, it was supposed to be a traveling thing like the mouse said right? But no matter how many times she shook it or opened up, it still didn't budge!! Guess it needed to recharge or something? But now that she was following these blue mushrooms still, the giant trees suddenly cut off and turned into a separate place all together. A giant forest like the one back home only this time it was denser. More trees and they seemed closer together and darker than her own home's forest. More...strange in a sense if that was understandable. All the while she just kept doing what the dormouse suggested and followed the bright blue mushrooms, until she came across a fork in the road. Along the way her feet were just starting to ache a little more but she kept going, too afraid to even stop at this point. Allison kept looking around or behind herself to make sure she wasn't being followed, but these beautiful strange woods wasn't even threatening to her. It was...a lot like her old forest from what she remembered. Plenty of shade. Lots of plants and animals, the sounds of birds chirping and fluttering about, if there was a lot of flowering bushes and small bunnies and birds flying around like in those cheesy fairytale cartoons, she would've just thought this was all a hallucination of her mind. That cute small white and brown bunny by the tulip patch must've been the tenth rabbit she'd seen by now, it looked at her for a moment before hopping away and disappearing into the flowers. She couldn't help but smile at that. The sweet flowery smell in the air was so nice and relaxing, if she hadn't just crash landed in there and still felt paranoid, it would've been a great spot to go hiking. The blue mushrooms kept going as she still walked along looking around the forest, shuffling through tall grass and then suddenly stopping.....And blinking at the sight. 

"OH FINALLY!!"

A ROAD!! The string of mushrooms continued for a few more yards until they stopped at the beginning of a small dirt path formed in the middle of the woods. Allison quickly picked up the pace and sighed when her feet finally stepped onto the clear path now that she didn't have to trudge through the grass and weeds anymore. Her feet still hurt but now they wouldn't get wet from the dew grass. She continued walking on this path deeper into the woods and kept going forward. There wasn't any more blue mushrooms so she just kept going forward still looking for this fork in the road with signs. What she wasn't expecting was a giant shadow to loom over her as she was looking around and she stopped before looking up at the thing causing the shadow and blinking.

"....You have GOT to be kidding me." Standing there. Tall and shiny and silver. Was. A. LITERAL. Giant. FORK!! In the road. A actually giant FORK like the kind you would use to eat pasta with was lodged in the middle of the road and behind it the road split into two different directions. One was going straight ahead and you'd have to walk around the fork to continue, and the other was a slightly smaller path that went left and into a different part of the woods. Blinking she slowly walked up to the fork and as the mouse had said, there were two signs stuck to it. Both were wooden and carved into arrows, one was pointing up and this one said "Continue to next fork in road and more signs ya silly.' Allison scrunched her nose up at that before turning to the next sign that was pointing in the direction of the other path and read: "Madder Hatter and Even Marsh-er Hare." And she smiled. "Oh. Good. Then that's the way I wanna go then."

With a bigger smile on her face, she turned her head and began to walk her way down the path to her left. Maybe it was just her but maybe the sky had gotten darker and the animals became more scarce, but it almost seemed like it was turning nighttime? Did a magical world have a nighttime if they weren't revolving around a sun??...Or were they on a different planet and only magically connected to earth? She was so confused and shook her head free of the thoughts as she walked along. Slowly but surely as the human gal walked on, the sky became darker and her body more tired. What time was it? She felt like she had been walking for a long time, was it night already? It would explain why she felt so tired and her feet STILL hurt. Something flashed in front of her face and she blinked. Quickly taking notice of the hundreds of fireflies blinking and buzzing around her. Against the dark forest they looked so beautiful, like living tiny small stars-....Allison stopped. Her head perked up and listening closely to the sounds of the night. Crickets and an owl sounded out. But there was some kind of other noise to them. It almost sounded like...Music? What sounded like the faint upbeat music sounded far away. What was that? She blinked and continued walking on her way down the path as she continued to hear the music. As she walked she noticed it got louder and louder. She must be getting whoever was playing that music. The path made a turn behind some tall bushes and she slowly approached the curve of the path.

"I was locked in the locker!~ I was picked last in soccer!~," a sudden loud voice sung out.

Allison jumped and blinked at the strange voice singing. And blinked. The voice wasn't terrible persay, but it did spook her a bit. She finally peeked around the high bushes and paused at what was waiting for her eyes on the other side. The path continued down the forest and stopped at the edge of a white gate door, and the white door was connected to a white picket fence. The fence went around and surround a small yard and cottege, like something out of a fairytale book. The cottege though was painted a VERY bright yellow and had pink polka dots of all sizes painted all over it, including the windows and roof. How odd. But what REALLY caught her attention was the yard the things in said yard. The house and yard were definitely smaller than her own, but sitting in it was a long table and around It were chairs of all makes and models, and on top of it was ...teasets. Lots of different teapots, teacups, spoons, saucers, teatrays, sugarcube holders, milk holders, and the occasional small tray of tea cakes, mini sandwhiches, or macaroons. Whatever food one would serve at tea time. But all of that couldn've been normal...If it wasn't for the dancing clown on one of the chairs. She had to blink and shake her head again, but yes. THERE WAS A SMALL CLOWN. On the table. The small man had dark pink almost red hair and matching freckles, at least one upper tooth was missing, a red rubber clown nose, a blue tophat with yellow spots sat on his head and a matching bow around his neck, clown shoes and an odd pants and shirt. The shirt was the same yellow as the house, and had the same yellow polka dots on it's sleeves, but the chest and back had pink stripes not matching the sleeves at all. And the pants were bright pink with yellow polka dots. Right next to the dancing clown was an equally tall PINK rabbit. He was dancing along with the clown and singing, with dark pink speckles scattered all over his body. A bright pink bowtie with yellow spots was around the rabbits neck and he wore a long yellow and pink polka dotted shirt as he danced and sang with the clown. Were...Were they the Mad Hatter and Marsh Hare? What really struck her was this Hatter's eyes. They weren'T normal human eyes and instead bared a great similarity to the kind of mitch matched spiraled eyes Chesire had. Currently the two were looking at one another while expertly tapping between the teasets without breaking any of the dishes.

"And they say that's it's all fun.~ But man.~ Their fun, it ain't fun.~ Man, Im done.~," the clown continued to sing along with the music, "And I know we're all different!~ Our beliefs and religion.~" The clown then grabbed the pink rabbit's paw through his giant too long sleeves and smiled wider. "But I don't see the difference in me and you.~ Your, tu Or moi, vous.~"

Did....Did he just speak French? She blinked and stepped out from behind the bush and slowly stepped forward. Gripping the umbrella in both hands. 

"So if you've had enough then-" They suddenly grabbed both their hands in each others' and began to step around in a circle, like a two player game of ring around the rosie, and still expertly danced without breaking anything as now they both sang. " Come to the land of the lost and lonely!~ Don't be afraid.~ We'll be one big family of freaks.~"

"Like you~," the rabbit sung out before detaching one hand and booping the clown's nose, momentarily stopping their ring around the rosie rountine. 

"And me~," the clown sung back before booping his nose back and taking their hands to circle dance again.

"I know a place where the bruised and broken live like the kings and queens tragedy.~ Just freaks like you and me!~." They stopped and threw their arms into the air. "We are the freaks!~"

She momentarily stopped by a tree for a moment. Should she approach? The mouse said to ask them about an exit, but it was rude to interrupt someone singing with unexpected company. They stopped dancing for a second to face each other again. Allison couldn't believe her eyes. Not only was the table NOT shaking from their dancing, but NOTHING on the table was moving either. Like it was all frozen. Some kind of Magic?

"I've been kicked down in the dirt,'' the pick rabbit sung as if it was his turn to sing solo, "I pretend that it don't hurt.~" Allison now noticed that the music was coming from an old record player, with a record already spinning under the needle. Oh. Well that explains the music. "And I know they're just words, but sticks, stones they break bones.~ But just know we could all be disciples.~ And we'll write our own bibles.~" The pink rabbit smiled in a loving way and grabbed his friend's hand again making the clown giggle. "We'll put freaks in the title.~ It's me. You.~" He again booped the clown's red nose making him giggle more. "Your tu, and moi, vous.~"

...Did-...Did the rabbit just speak French now??

"So if you've had enough then-" The rabbit grabbed the clown's other hand and again with the circle dance routine. "Come to the land of the lost and lonely.~ Don't be afraid.~ We'll be one big family of freaks.~" 

The once again stopped and the rabbit rebooped his nose. "Like you.~"

The clown giggle and booped his friend's nose back. "And me.~"

Again with the hand holding and circling. "I know a place where the bruised and broken live like the kings and queens of tragedy.~ Just freaks.~ Like you and me.~ We are the freaks!~" They continued to do the circle dance and didn't notice Allison blinking and slowly stepping closer to the gate as they still sung. It....it was honestly lovely singing. Was she sure she wasn't dreaming? "NAnananananana! Falalala!! NANANANA!!! Come to the land of the lost of lonely!~ Don't be afraid!~ We'll be one big family of freaks!~ Like you and me!~ I know a place where the bruised and broken live like the kings and queens of tragedy!~ Just freaks!~ Like you and me!~ COME HOOOOOOOOME!!!~" They suddenly stopped and sung louder in harmony while staring at each other while holding hands. Smiling widely. Neither didn't notice Allison as she stopped by the gate mesmorized by their singing and subconsciously put one hand on the gate door. "Where you can be you!~ I can be me!~ We'll never leave!~ Cuz we are the freaks!~ COME HOOOOME!~ WHERE YOU CAN BE YOU!~ I CAN BE ME!~ WE'LL NEVER LEAVE!!~ CUZ WE ARE THE FREAKS!~ WE ARE THE FREAKS!!" They ended their song by throwing their hands up in the air again-

SQUEAK!!

Allison froze as the door creaked open a little bit catching the attention of the two on the table as their heads instantly whipped around to look at her and she froze even more when their eyes landed on her. The three of them stared at each other for a long moment, but then the clown gasped and his hands flew to grab his cheeks. 

"Oh, look Marshy! We have a visitor!" He clapped his hands before jumping off the table and bounding over to her. She didn't dare move and only blinked and watched as the tinier man opened the gate and took his hat off his head in greeting while doing a silly pose on one leg. "Greetings and salutaions dear lady!! My it's been so long since we last had a visitor! Ain't that right Marshy!" He rabbit hummed a yes as he climbed off the table and onto a chair to sit down. Allison watched him for a moment, but jumped when the hatter took her hand and lead her in. "Where are my manners? Come in, come in!! You're just in time for Before Bed Tea Time!!" She was too stunned to stop him from excitedly pulling her towards the table and sitting her down in a chair next to the pink bunny, before bounding quickly to the other side of the table and popping up in the chair right across from her. "Allow me to introduce us!" He once again tipped his hat to her. "I am known as the Hatter! You may have heard of me and my college Marsh hare here! What might your name be fair maiden?"

Fair maiden? Her? She chuckled at the now ridiculous situation she found herself in and shook her head. Despite herself she smiled politely. After all it wasn't wise to be rude to someone who she hope who could help her, so he gestured a hand to herself. "M-My name's Allison. I-I'm sorry if I interupted your singing or....tea time?"

The tiny clown waved a hand and the rabbit reached across the table to grab a cup and teapot pouring a fresh cup of tea. "Nonsense! We were done anyways! You couldn't have come at a better time! It's been oh so long since we had visitors in this part of the forest. What brings you all the way out here if you dont mind me asking?"

She was about to answer- "Would you care for one lump or two?," Marsh asked holding a cup and sugarcube bowl in his two hands, "Or do you prefer honey? Also do you prefer lemon or milk in your tea?"

...She blinked. "Oh. Uh..S-Sugar and milk is fine. And I guess one lump?" Marsh nodded before quickly fixing up her tea and happily handing it right over. They sure were friendly weren't they? Best to be polite just in case, so she smiled and took the cup offered to her. "T-Thank you. And actually I was hoping you guys could help me."

Hatter and Marsh gave confused but happy looks to one another before back to her. Marsh spoke again as Hatter licked lips and reached for a small tray of macroons nearby. "Oh, really? If you're looking for tea experts you've come to the right place! We can show you how to make homemade tea bags or how to grow your own tea leaves. Or were you perhaps here for our cookie recipes? Lots of folks come around here to do that, but we keep telling them you can simply buy some from the Muffin Man on Dury Lane. That Manny Gingerbread is his partner and makes quite the delicious batch!" She shook her head as Hatter stuffed his face and chewed happily before Marsh frowned at him and reached over to pull his hat over his eyes. "Hatter. Manners!"

He pushed the hat back up and took one look at his friend before holding out the plate to her in an obvious offering but she held up her hand. "No thank you. I-It's nice of you two to offer though." Hatter shrugged before he began to snack on the rest of them making her giggle. "Actually a mouse told me you two could help me get back home?"

"A mouse?," Marsh asked before sipping his own cup of tea as Hatter tilted his head curiously, "Pardon me for asking, but how would we help you get home? Are you lost? There's many, many signs clearly stating where you're going!"

She shook her head again. "N-No...Y-You see I'm...UGH! Im not FROM Wonderland." She looked back down frustrated to her cup. "I fell in her through Chesire's stupid portal and now I can't get out-"

"CHESIRE?!," both asked at once while looking at her and she blinked almost dropping her cup.

"U-Um. Y-Yes?"

They smiled widely again before Hatter spoke. "Why Chesire is a dear friend of ours! We loves to show up to our little parties and have a sing along or two!"

"Wait." Her red eyes widened. "You two KNOW him!"

"We just said he was a friend!....OH!" Marsh had a knowing look on him before he pointed to her. "You must be this Ally person we've heard so much about! It's nice to finally meet a friend of a friend! Now uh...Back to the topic at hand. How are we supposed to help you home?"

Chesire spoke about her before? Huh. She'll have to ask about that when she got back, IF she got back. She shook her head. Right. Back on topic. "W-W-Well. That mouse said you guys knew everyone here. D-Do you know how I can get back home?...Get back to NOT Wonderland?"

The two exchanged a look, and to her utter disappointment both shook their heads no. "I'm very sorry, but rabbitholes aren't our cup of tea."

".....Rabbitholes? I wanted to know about portals."

"Correct. Portals between our world and yours are called rabbitholes, and it sounds like you fell down a rabbithole from the way you're talking."

Her stomach dropped and so did her face. "So....There's no way you can help me at all?"

Marsh awkwardly scratched his head...but Hatter suddenly perked up with a 'AHA! I have an idea!' smile. "We might not know how to help you, but I bet your tea biscuts that the wise Fortune Teller would!"

Marsh gasped. "You're right again, Hatter!"

Allison rose a brow confused, "Fortune Teller?"

The nodded. "He's the wisest and most reclusive being in all of Wonderland!", Hatter exclaimed throwing his arms out making the too long sleeves flop about, "He's very hard to find, but he knows all about everything there is to know about anything in the land! Im sure he'll be able to help you!"

Her smile came back and she felt hope once again fill her. "That's fantastic! Where can I find him?"

Both looked at each other again. "....We..don't know. Like I said he's the most reclusive person in all of Wonderland. Rumor has it he likes his privacy....Buuut! We may know someone who might know where he lives! The Twiddle Sisters! They love listening to everything everyone says and if anyone would have any clue where he might be it'd be them!"

"Great! Where can I find them?!"

"We don't know where they live, but they love to go and perform at the Granny's Cottege in Enchanted Vil. It's a very good business run by Alliver Kingsmen. Can't miss it!"

Her excitiment grew as she asked, "How do I get there?!"

Marsh pointed back up the path she came. "Just go back up the path you came and go straight ahead. When you come to the second fork in the road just go right and keep walking straight until you come across a small town. You can't miss it!"

She smiled wider. It wasn't perfect, but this was a great start and better than nothing. "Great! Thank you so much. I-.....*yawn* can't thank you enough."

Both blinked and looked to each other again before back at her noticing the way her eyes drooped, and how late it must've been. "Say. Perhaps you should the night before you start on your journey."

"Hm? Oh no. I-I couldn't. You two have been more than helpful, I couldn't ask you to do that for me."

We insist!," Hatter spoke up, "It's not wise to travel at night and Enchanted Vil is a good two miles from here. It'll take at least a full day of walking if you don't have a horse or flying carpet." He smiled wider. "Any friend of Chesire is a friend to us! And he would be saddened if we just let you go stumbling about in the dark. You can spend the night and leave in the morning. We don't have any spare beds, but the floor is much more welcoming than the grass and dirt."

Well...now that he said it like that. It did seem better than falling asleep on a road in an unfamiliar place in the middle of no where, and if Chesire was friends with them then they must've been ok. So she quietly smiled and nodded her head yes. 

"Great! But finish your cup of tea first. We dont waste tea in this part of the woods."


	7. Chapter 7

The clear and crisp day made it where anyone would be happy to go outside and play all day in this lovely spring whether, but that did not comfort the girl under the covers of the bed at ALL as she curled up and under the blanket more away from the sunlight that threatened to wake her up. She did not want to brace the day or even bother to get up and go anywhere at all. She was perfectly content with staying right where she was and not going anywhere but her home. ....But this wouldn't be her home for too long. You see. A man came, a man in a fancy suit and tie came in a big fancy car and knocked in her door. She had never seen him before but had stood at the top of the stairs and listened in when her granny sent her upstairs to play. She watched as the well dressed man was invited in by her granny and sat down in the living room by the fire place and offered some tea by her granny. She still remembered what the man had said to her.

"Ma'am. I'm with Social Services and lately we've gotten record of a young girl in your care?"

"Yes. Allison's been living with me since her parents ran off to lord knows where," her granny crossed her arms and rose a brow, "Do forgive my bluntness, Sir. But what business would you have with me now?"

"No offense taken, Ma'am. But...We are concerned for her educational and social needs."

"And what concerns are those? She knows how to read and write, and other basic math and science things I learnt. And it's not like she's being left alone in the middle of the woods!"

The man held up his hands. "I'm not discrediting what you've done for her, Ma'am. It couldn't have been easy. But the fact of the matter is, your time and this time is different. She's going to need a better education and social skills for later in life, and by law she's supposed to have started school last year when she turned six. Our records say she's seven now and hasn't been enrolled in any online or public schools. And with your age and living so far from any civilization, along with our records,....we have to do what's best for the child."

"...What are you saying then?"

The man sighed. "What Im saying is that the child would be better off in the care of another realitive. The agency found an older cousin of yours." He made a shrugging movement. "Nice small town with low crime rates, the school is a nice one with a decent average score rating, and said realitive has a decent track record herself and has children of her own. It'd be the perfect place for her."

"You can't just take her from me!"

"Can you supply her a sufficient home? Ma'am you're already in your sixties, if something were to happen to you it would leave her in a state of unknowing on her own which would lead to an even harsher outcome. How can you gaurentee her safety?" Her granny remained silent....and the man sighed and stood. "It's not my choice to make anyways. I'm only here to deliver the message, but the court has decided. Miss Allison Gale will be removed from your care within a week's time. I suggest you have her ready by then. Mrs. Gale."

All she remembered was the sound of her granny crying and the next week after that her granny being very clingy towards the small seven year old her. The child barely got to spend anytime with Chesire or play that week because her granny insisted on having her spend time with her baking things or reading her stories, to even sitting down and playing with her. Of course the young cat was always just out of sight of the old lady, peeking around the corner or floating near the ceiling watching annoyed and curiously at the old lady playing and suddenly spending so much more time with her granddaughter and spoiling her for a few days. Allison could only spend a little bit of time with him right before she fell asleep but the cat was angered and annoyed.! How dare they try to take her away!? She was perfectly fine where she was! Those last nights were spent with her crying and hugging him and begging her granny not to let her go and making a promise to her friend she would come back and they would play again. But that morning....That fateful morning would be her last time there. As footsteps approached her bed the blanket was yanked off her and the child didn't react as the face of her granny was standing there in tears. She didn't react when she was made to get out of bed and get dressed. Went to her Granny's hold as she cried her eyes out over her departure, nor when she was taken down the steps and to the front door. A blue head poked out of her bedroom doorway as soon as the two were outside and he zoomed to the window to watch.

A shiny black car was sitting in the dirt driveway and a different man in a suit was standing there already putting Allison's suitcase into the back of the car as the crying old lady hugged the tiny child goodbye before the man took her and put her in the back of the car. The seat belt clicked into place before the door was closed and the young girl stared out the window as the engine started up. First she glanced at the crying grandmother as she cried her heart out as the car pulled away. But the child caught another person staring at her through the window as she was taken away for years.

A young chesire cat. Looking down from her bedroom window as fat tears rolled down his cheeks-

"Miss Allison?"

Red eyes blinked open from the world of sleep and blinked tiredly as two pink blurs were looking down at her. The human woman groaned as she laid on their floor, before she slowly sat up and stretched. Yawning as she did before reaching up to rub at her eyes. The polka dot blanket fell off of her as the blurs slowly turned into a small clown and small rabbit....Who-? Where was-?...OH! Right. She could've sworn all of yesterday was a dream by the way that dream was, but nope! The two were smiling at her before Marsh held up a small tray to her with a smile.

"It ..may not be healthy for a human." He set the small tray on her lap. A small plate of tea cakes and mini sandwiches were on it, with a cup of what smelt like English breakfast tea. "But it's all we have. And it'd be unwise for you to venture on such a long journey with an empty stomach. I don't think you have any gold coins or jewels to trade for food in town, so it's best you eat up before you set on your way."

.....Oh. Right. Her next long trip to find these Twiddle Sisters. "T-Thank you." She said and she grabbed one of the chocolate looking macaroons as the two smiled. 

"Of course. It'd be very unkind of us to let you leave with an empty stomach! And Chesire would've been saddened if we didn't treat a friend of a friend with hospitality!"

She blinked and swallowed the coco macaroon. "....I wonder where he is? He hasn't shown up has he?"

Both shook their heads before Hatter spoke. "He's prolly just wondering around doing cat things! He'll show up eventually! Don't worry! You remember how to get to your destination right?" ....Allison blinked her half tired brain at him and hummed. "Go back to the fork in the road and travel to the second fork. Go right at the second one and walk straight ahead until you come to Enchanted Vil. and look for the building called Granny's Cottege! You can't miss it!"

".....Walk down. Second fork. Go right. Granny's Cottege. Got it!" She smiled a little bit before popping another in her mouth. "...I wonder what that cat's doing now?"

"Trust us! Whatever it is, We're sure he's just fine!!"

***************************************************************************************************************

HE. WAS. NOT. FINE!!

Thunder and lightning lit up the sky as rain poured in gallons as it still stormed outside, but thankfully the more dangerous thunder had passed. But that didn't matter tiny paws held a secpter out and directed it as a conductor would a baton stick to lead the band. Only this thing was directing a whole clump of glass shards and the cat wielding the magic gritted his fangs as he pushed his magic to it's limits and formed the few pieces back into one. Cracking sounds sounded out as the pieces of the reflective puzzle were put back together and forced backwards towards the massive mirror that was leaned and reinforced to the wall as to not let anything knock it over this time. It had a few pieces of it's once shiny magnificence already put back into place, not even half of it yet. The new big glass fragment crackled more as it joined the fixed glass already on there as his body shook forcing it to fix. Once it crackled fully back into place he stopped and let out a groan. Letting his arms drop to his sides. ....This was the problem with magic mirrors. They worked GREAT as portals and for spells, but once they broke it took a HECK amount of magic to be put back together again. And unfortunately it took a lot out of him. Thankfully the magic portal would still work perfectly once he put it back together, but he needed to rest now for a few hours before he could move onto the next few pieces.

His panting body looked back down to the amount of mirror shards he still had to put back together and meowed pathetically. Dropping the scepter in favor to start pacing his mind started racing with questions. Where was she? Did anything bad happen to her? Did she get hurt from the fall? Was Allison ok? It's already been a full day and night and she had no idea of the dangers of his world. If the Queen of Hearts found out a human landed in her kingdom-...He growled as his eyes turned into slits. Allison would be forced to battle for her freedom and if she lost, she'd be forced to be enslaved or locked in the dungeon for the rest of her life, and he COULDN'T allow that. Not when he just got his old friend back and spent only a month together! He lost her once and by fur he wouldn't let it happen again.

But for now he would rest and work as fast as possible. And hoped to the mighty Mother Goose that she was alright.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The song the queen and her dancing partner sings is I'm In Heaven When You Kiss me by A Touch Of Class and in no way mine.)

The flowers whisper.

At least that was the guards job was to do. To sit by the flower garden and listen for the whispers of the upmost importance of her majesties flowers and report back whatever they said. Usually they weren't very important and the talking plants would only deliver gossip like: "A royal prince is approaching from the north woods!" "Blondie Locks has broken her leg climbing a tree." "The Chesire Cat has been seen singing in the meadow." "The Giants found out rocks are a good source of house building material" And his personal favorite. "The Heart Queen accidentally fell into the mud puddle." But he wouldn't say it out loud for fear of loosing his comfy job. His job was very easy, he just had to sit down in the royal garden and wait for the flowers to speak whatever nonsense they spouted and then he'd go report it to her majesty. He didn't know why she even had this job but he wasn't complaining...Until now. The clanking of steel and heavy breathing rattled throughout the halls as the guard ran through the perfectly polished halls of the massive castle towards the theatre. The place where the Queen would most likely be this time of day. The man passed other servants and guards who looked on in confusion as he ran. Paintings and expensive table and suits of armor decorated the halls along with plenty of hearts of the dark red and pink colors. The checkered floors looked like he was running across a black and white chess board as he still ran. He turned a sharp corner and made a few wobbling steps, the weight of his armor almost making him fall but thankfully he didn't and just kept running towards the royal theater room. He only hoped his queen was there

~meanwhile~

The lights were out, darkness taking over the giant room as soft music played a beautiful melody for the few servants gathered within the darkness. One servant cranking the music machine as it played while another manned the spotlight up above in this darkness onto the two dancing within the middle of this darkened melody place. The shiny floors and outfits they wore glowing in the light as the two still danced and sung along to the music gracefully. The woman of such poise and grace and her hair of the most feiry red, one might've mistaken her for a dancing goddess. Her partner a handsome but plain young man who was helping her dance along and sing to said music as he went to spin his beautiful queen of the red hair around. 

"I'm in Heaven when you kiss me~," she sang with a heavenly voice as her partner spun her around and when she faced him she put a hand under his chin. Fake loveingly of course. This was acting. "Show me how you miss me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland.~" He spun her again and once her back was facing him he grabbed her hands and lead her into a sideways waltz as the music's beats bounced just a bit faster. "I'm in Heaven when you kiss me. Show me how you miss me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland.~" He suddenly spun her again and dipped her expertly. "You capture me with a stare.~ I follow you anywhere.~ You leave me in temptation.~"

He smiled and pulled her majesty up and they spun a few times around the shiny wooden floors before she spun away from him and made a pose with her hand on her hip and holding an arm out towards him and he did the same pose back to her.

"I guess you need to enjoy.~ I'm like a kid with a toy.~ I'm loosing my concentration.~" She put a hand to her forehead and feined swooned towards him and he easily caught her in his arms, swirling her around in mid air in his hold. "One kiss from you I'm on fire.~ You're all I desire.~ One look at you take me higher.~" At 'higher' he suddenly stopped and did a ballet pose where he grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up as she posed before bringing her back down and setting her back onto her feet. "You know I couldn't resist.~ Yeah! I miss-" She swirled back to face him and they locked hands. "Everytime I'm with you.~ Everytime that we kiss.~" He gracefully brought her into a ballroom waltz with one hand on her hip and another holding her hand. The spotlight remaining on them. "I'm in Heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~ I'm in Heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you miss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~" Her hand then again then fakely cupped the man's cheek lovingly again as she still waltzed with him greatly across the dancefloor and danced with him. "I go crazy when you kiss me.~ Show me how you miss me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland.~ You know I couldn't resist.~ Yeah, I miss.~ Everytime I'm with you.~ Everytime that we kiss.~"

A small pause of singing followed along with piano music coming out from the giant music box like machine in the corner and during that time her partner lead the beautiful Queen into a slightly faster pace. Dipping her and adding swirls to the mix and smiling with fake love for their act as they did and the few servants watched in awe as he still guilded her around. He pushed her away from him still connected by one hand before bringing her back in and spinning her until she was pushed away from him again and still held his other hand.

"I dream of you every night.~ It's like I'm loosing my mind.~," the man gracefully sung out as he brought her back to him and again began gliding her across the dancefloor in a graceful waltz. "This feeling is just getting stronger.~ My head is spinning around.~ You play with me but I'm bound.~ I can't resist any longer.~" He gave her a quick spin or two before making her stop to face him again smiling. And she cupped his cheek acting the part again.

"One kiss from you I'm on fire.~ Your touch is all I desire.~ One look and you take me higher.~" He then spun her out and again they posed as he held out his hand to her other hand on his chest as she continued to sing. "You know I couldn't resist.~ Yeah, I miss.~ Everytime I'm with you.~ Everytime that we kiss.~" She held her hand out to him as if expecting him to take it and he did, bringing her back to his own being smiling and bringing her into a slow and gently waltz. "I'm in Heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~" She sang softer as they held each other and fakely gazed at each other lovingly. " You were sent to me from Wonderland.~" Her voice went to her normal pitch when he suddenly half dipped her deeply before bringing her back up and increasing the pace of their waltzing as he glided her around. "I'M in heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~ I go crazy when you kiss me.~ Show me how you miss me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland." They suddenly stopped but she continued singing. "You know I couldn't resist.~ Yeah I miss.~ Everytime I'm with you.~ Everytime that we kiss.~"

She fake swooned and put a hand to her forehead and 'dropping' as limp as a ragdoll to the floor in a fake swoon, he expertly grabbed her and kneeled down with her in his arms as she still leaned back with her eyes closed and smiling as he sang his other verse of the whole performance they were practicing again and again.

"You know that I'm hypnotized.~ Every time I look in your eyes~." His hand went to her head lifting it and making her face him as she reopened her eyes 'lovingly' up at him. It looked like a picture perfect scene out of a fairytale book when the prince lovingly saves the fair princess or maiden and before they have their happily ever after. "You know I could disguise, and I couldn't resist.~" His hand cupped her face 'lovingly' as he sang. "Every time that we kiss.~"

"I'm in heaven when you kiss me. Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~" She sang softly as they remained embraced in that pose for a long moment. Before the music suddenly sped up and in one fluent motion his hands went to her hips and she was snatched from her swooning pose off the floor, turned around and in that same ballerina pose and swung her around facing the servants, spotlight following them. "I'm in heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~" She was placed back down and he wrapped an arm around her waist from behind as his other hand grabbed her as he lead her right across the floor and they looked at each other 'lovingly' again. "Ooh, it's heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~ I go crazy when you kiss me.~ Baby, don't resist me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland.~" She was then released from around her waist and she was allowed to turn around in a half spin back into his hold as they went back into a ballroom dance. "You know that I'm hypnotized by your eyes.~ And I just can't resist ever time that we kiss.~ Soft piano music played for another short moment as they danced along and they smiled at each other as he spun her and continued to waltz her around the room. "You know that I'm hypnotized by your eyes.~ And I couldn't resist every time that we kiss.~" She sang out softly one more time.

A few soft piano notes continued to play out and in those few seconds, she jumped into his arms and he caught her and lifted her up. Spinning her around as sparkles glimmered in the light from her perfect dress showing off her natural beauty and then lowering her back down in a half dip 'I'm about to kiss you' pose as the last few notes played out- 

SLAM!!

A few of the female servants screamed and the Queen jumped and was almost dropped by her dancing partner as they looked over towards the double doors that were slammed open in a haste, but luckily she was caught by her dancing partner who also looked over startled with everyone else. Light flooded the darkened room, lighting up the fancy floors and the small wardrobe in the corner. Standing in the doorway was a sweating, heaving heavily man who was blinking and wearing heavy armor and looking all around the now lit room until his eyes landed on her highness in the man's hands. The man wheezed and with shaking legs making his armor even more noisy he stumbled his way towards her. Finally the red haired queen blinked and scowled. Making herself stand up and wriggling out of her old dancing partner's hold and glaring at the guard approaching.

"Flower Keeper! What's the meaning of this!?," She demanded separating herself from everyone and marching over to the man who kneeled and fell to his knees faster than a rock in water in respect to his Queen as she approached in that glittery pretty dancing costume. Her shadow loomed over the knight who was wheezing and slightly shaking due to not being used to running that hard and fast. "You know I do not WANT to be disturbed when I'm practicing my performances and everyone knows this." She leaned down further with an annoyed tone. "You better have a good explaination for this."

"Y-Y-Your majesty. I-I-....*wheeze* I b-bring news from the flowers. I-It's very important I swear it!"

She stared down at the knight still kneeling before her before looking back to the servants around her and raising a hand up to snap her fingers, immediately the windows were opened by the servants letting more light flood in and light the room back to it's normal status and the man handling the spotlight above blew out the giant candle used to light up said spot light before descending the latter. Most of the servants scrambled about or out of the room including her dancing partner and she gave a quick look to him.

"We'll continue the dance routine later, Pierre. Say hi to your husband for me." The man nodded before bowing gracefully and leaving through the doors as well. She watched as the doors closed and she was left with the still kneeling guard and two maids who just stood by silently waiting as their Queen paused and looked at the man waiting to be addressed. He heard footsteps retreating from him but didn't dare look up when the queen walked back over to the corner of the room where a giant divider and wardrobe was accompanied by the servants as the two ladies quickly went to help their lady dress as she disappeared behind the curtain. A second later the fancy costume was thrown over the top of the divider and the silohouettes of the maids could be seen helping the lady into a different outfit. A moment later she returned back out dressed in her own clothing as she frowned back at the guard still kneeling...And approached him. "Tell me. What news was so important that you would barge in and disturb my weekly practice when I give specific orders not to? What could be so important about flowers gossip that you would defy your queen's orders?"

The shuddering guard before her gulped and still dare not look up as the shadown of the Queen of Hearts fell over him and he paused before answering with a stutter in his tone. "M-M-My apologies, Y-Your Majesty. P-P-Please forgive me. B-But I have news from the flowers. T-T-They speak o-of an intruder t-to your kingdom."

Her brow rose. "An intruder? Nonsense. Any royals and their subjects are welcome as long as they bare no harm. What intruder do you mean?"

He gave a shaking breath. "Your highness. A-A-A....A Human has f-f-fallen into Wonderland."

A silence followed as everyone let those words sink in-

"WHAT?!", The queen yelled making everyone around her wince away from the now scary look her beautiful face presented as she demanded answers of the shivering man, "HOW?! WHERE ARE THEY NOW!?"

He frantically shook his head. "I know not. T-They-..The flowers haven't t-t-told me anything beyond what was said-"

"Then wait DID they say to you?!"

"T-T-They said a human woman fell into our world on t-t-the edge of the Giant's forest and was last seen heading north. S-She was a fair skinned maiden with eyes of red and hair of molten gold. S-She wore red of rose and was seen following the ways of the north woods path your majesty. B-But that's all I know I swear to you!" 

The Queen with an unreadable emotion in her eyes sighed through her nose and stared down at him....Before walking around him and walking towards the opened doors. "SEND FOR MY CAPTAIN OF THE GUARDS IMMEDIATELY!! SEND FOR MR. LANCER A. LOT!! NO HUMAN SHALL WONDER FREELY WITHOUT PAYING THE TOLL ALL HUMAN PAY WHEN THEY ENTER MY KINGDOM!!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The songs sung by the Twiddle Sisters are Wonderland by Natalia Kills, Mad Hatter by Melanie Martinez, and Wonderland by Caravan Palace. I DID switch around and replace a few words, especially the Mad Hatter song, to match the storyland theme more, but I in no way own any of the songs or anything about them.)

Birds chirped along and the sky was a lovely blue as the lady in a red dress walked along the dirt road, even though this world had no visible sun that she could see it was still warm as if it was always summer here. And everything was always so bright, beautiful, and vibrant. The sweet smell of flowers was still in the air and lots of forest animals were about. Mostly birds and bunnies, but she saw some deer, a fox, and a turtle too. She wondered if they were regular animals or cursed princes or maybe they could talk like Cheshire or Marsh. They looked and acted like regular forest animals of her old home, and ran away from her as soon as she passed. Making her chuckle as she walked along. At least her feet weren't hurting anymore. Allison had shortly left the strange polka dot cottege after eating the food the kind Hatter and Hare provided her, once again reminding her of the way she needed to go in order to find these Twiddle Sisters. She certainly hoped whoever they were they would be as friendly as her previous guests were. She could only hope. Allison had followed the two crazy fellos' instructions and was already walking down her way towards the second fork in the road. So far she hadn't seen anything except for the lovely woods and creatures around her, that was until the path turned a corner to the left and as instructed she followed it. As Allison turned the corner she paused, and a big smile slowly spread across her face.

"Oh thank god! Finally!"

The second fork in the road! Finally! The second shiny GIANT silver fork stood tall and in the middle of the dirt path as she hurried towards it. Like the one before it, there was paths behind it but this time instead of two paths and two signs, there was three wooden paths and three wodden arrow signs. As soon as she got close enough she stopped and peered up at the signs that were somehow nailed to the giant metal thing. By now she stopped questioning things. I mean she just fell into a fairytale world of talking animals and storybook characters. How logical was that? As she approached, she blinked her eyes up to the three signs that pointed one each to the paths. One left, one right, and one pointing up probably symbolizing the path directly behind the giant fork. The left path apparently went somewhere called The Valley Of FarFar Away. The middle one lead somewhere called Godmother's Retirement Village. And the right which her old companions told her to go, said Enchated Vil. She smiled, before obviously turning and going down the right pathway. Everything looked the same as before as she walked along. Minute after minute passing as she continued to walk along for who know how long. The only difference was that the path began to slowly get bigger and bigger as Allison slowly walked along until it was as big and wide as a regular highway if the highway was made of dirt and smack dab in the middle of a dense and magic forest. The sweet flower scent in the air was nice as the gently breeze flowed throughout the air combined with...The smell of apple pies? She paused a little bit and sniffed the air a little more smelling the scents of foods in the air. And her stomach growled. Mini sandwhiches and cookies and tea didn't really fill one up so much. So naturally she sped up umbrella in hand as she folloed the smell down the road through the woods and-...And oh my goodness. She was now looking at the entrance of a small town the tree blocked off any buildings to the left and right, but from where she was standing she could make out the entrance to what looked like a mini town square of cobblestone and a fountain. Blinking she hurried forward. As she came closer the road slowly turned from dirt to cobblestone and she could hear her footsteps on it, and people walking around!.....WAIT! NO!! NOT JUST PEOPLE!! Walking talking animals and things! THAT THERE WAS A DEAR IN A FANCY DRESS CARRYING A BASKET!! AND THAT THERE WAS AN ELF!!....AND THAT THING WAS A TREE WITH ARMS, LEGS, AND WEARING AN OLD TIMEY SUIT!! She stopped where the forest met the town and her jaw dropped in absolute WONDER.

IT. WAS. A. VILLAGE. RIGHT. OUT. OF. A. FAIRYTALE!! Cobblestone everywhere, things out of stories walking around, and the buildings even looked like those old wooden cabins in storybooks, or cotteges with straw roofs. Either way it was fantastic. Umbrella still in hand and red eyes blinking around in wonder, she slowly stepped her way in looking at the brightly colored houses of different colors and designs and all the different people walking around. ...It really was real and so different and EXCITING AND AMAZING!! No one was the same from her first glance and she almost tripped from bumping into a giant walking spoon man holding hands with a giant plate wearing a dress and hat.

"S-Sorry," She called back before looking around again.

Her stomach growled smelling the good food again and she looked over and noticed there was a bakery opened not to far from her. Above the bakery's door it read "Muffin's and Gingerbread's Breads and Goodies." She guessed that must've been the Muffin Man's and Gingerbread man's family business. ...Too bad she didn't have any money or what was used for money down here. All this walking really worked up an appitite....What was she looking for again? OH YEAH!! Granny Cottege. She looked around and began to walk around aimlessly glancing at the many, many buildings around the place and peeking into alleyways. 'Mother Goose Library'. 'Town Hall.' 'GodMother's School House'....An actual one room school building with a bed like in ye olden days. 'Ye Olde Brave Tailor.' 'Merry Lane Doctor.' ...LOTS of fairytale puns. But no 'Granny's Cottage.' She must've been looking for what must've been an hour by now and still no signs of it. 'Can't miss it' huh? Against her better judgement she decided to stop someone and ask for directions. It looked like a wizard. The old man in a long robe and witch like hat stopped patiently and didn't seem too bothered by her question. In return to her question, he pointed down at an alleyway between two buildings and said it was just down that alleyway. She thanked him and hurried away towards where he had pointed. Darting between the mysterious people until she got there. The alleyway was dark but there was a light at the back of the tunnel, her desperation to find a way home somewhere overpowered any sketchy feeling she might've had and compelled her to walk down it. Allison was in complete shade for a few moments, but it disappeared as soon as she reached the end. The alleyway was nothing but a dead end with garbage cans and some litter laying about. But before her was a large black door and a sign above it read Granny's Cottage. FINALLY she found it! A smile came over her face as she approached the door and didn't hesitate to open it. Inside was NOT what she was expecting. 

The loud sound of laughter filled the air and she catiously poked her head in and blinked at what was before her. LOTS of buff looking pirates and thieves she thought, witches and wizards wearing dark clothes, and other ruffians. ....Wow. She guessed there must've been ...'bad' people like classic story book villains and thieves but she didn't expect to stumble across a whole bunch of them. She took a few steps in and stopped wondering if maybe she shook turn around- She yelped and took a few steps aside as two buff looking men charged towards the open door with another third man in their grip she watched as they tossed him out laughing before one slammed the door shut and laughed even more and they turned and stomped back to a table of pirate looking men who held up mugs of she guessed beer towards them....She wondered if this is what Chesire meant by dangers of his world? She didn't have much chance to find out though as she sucked in a deep breath and began to walk towards the bar? This place looked like a tavern, an old version of a bar, only this one had a stage and giant old worn curtain near the far back. No one paid her any mind as she stepped around and under arms holding out mugs, dodging a few spills from the foul smelling beer. A man with an eye patch was wiping out a wooden mug at the counter and had that classic apron and small mustache like old bartenders had and looked up at her as she approached- Before yelping and ducking her head from a flying mug that landed on the floor behind the bar. The bartender didn't even flinch as it spilt at his feet and only gave Allison a bored look.

"Watcha want here girly? You seem kinda outta place in a crowd of rowdy ruffians like us." He sneered at her as she slowly looked around to make sure nothing would come back flying at her. Before blinking back up to the man.

"N-No! I d-don't want anything to drink. I-I'm just here looking for something."

"Uh huh. And just might who that be little lady? We don't usually see you're kind around here."

She looked at him and with a quiver in her voice said, "I-I'm looking f-f-for The Twiddle Sisters? I-I was told they perform here."

He huffed before going back to his cup. "Well, you're lucky then. They're about to perform now."

She didn't have time to even ask before the loud cheers of drunken laughter turned to cheers and whistles of joy and the bar tender looked past her, she looked over where he was looking and noticed everyone looking towards the stage near the very back of the whole place and she blinked.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A lady's voice sung out from somewhere as the cheers and whistles grew. "It is with great pleasure that I present to you the Twiddle Sisters!"

The old raggedy curtain rose much to the cheers and she blinked again. WHAT THE WHAT?! What was revealed was not one but TWO women sharing one body....L-LIKE CONJOINED TWINS!! The strange ladies were dressed in a dark pink burlesque outfit and a long feather boa.Like one of those old 1920's flapper girls. One lady had dark pink hair which she had in a ponytail. Her sister she guessed had MUCH longer very pale pink hair, almost light also in a ponytail. As they were presented they really hammed up themselves by fluttering their eyes, one head waved white the other blew a kiss towards the cheering crowd. Behind them was three witches. Backup singers?? Everyone quieted down as music suddenly began playing from somewhere and she-..Uh..They got into a pose as she watched.

"I'm not Snow white but I'm lost inside this forest.~ I'm not red Riding Hood but I think the wolves have got me.~" The twin with the short dark pink ponytail sang as she walked along the stage and put one hand to her forehead while the one on her sister's side remained on their hip. " Don't want your glass slippers.~ I'm not, not Cinderella.~ I don't need a knight, so baby take off all your armor.~" She stepped along the stage again and men cheered and whistled as they walked past. "Your be the beast-" They leaned down to poke a guy's nose as they past and his comrade pulled him back from the stage. "-and I'll be the beauty, beauty.~ Who needs true love, as long as you love me truly, truly.~ I want it all but I want you more.~ Will you wake me up boy if I bite your poison apple?~" 

"I don't believe in fairytales~," both girls sung out this time as they stopped center stage. The three back up witch singers sang 'Oh, no, no, no.' as they said that. "I don't believe in fairytales.~ I don't believe in fairytales.~ But I believe in you and me.~ Take me to Wonderland!!" All five girls sung as one for the next few verses now as the sisters danced and swung their hips expertly in place. "Take me to, Take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Take me to, take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Take me to, take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Wonderland, Wonderland.~" 

"When I lay down to go to sleep at night.~," the dark pinked haired twin sang again as her twin and the back ground dancers stayed silent now, but the backup singers bouncing to the beat. "My dreams consist of things that'd make you wanna hide.~ Don't let me in your tower.~ Show me your magic powers.~ I'm not afraid to face a little bit of danger, danger.~ " At the last 'danger' they reached one of their legs out to kicked back a burly one eyed man back from the stage with the sweetest smiles. "I want the love, the money, and the perfect ending.~ You want the same as I, I.~ So stop pretending.~ I wanna show you how good we could be together.~ I wanna love you through the night.~ We'll be a sweet disaster.~"

"I don't believe in fairytales.~" Again both heads sung as another 'Oh, no, no, no.' came from the witches. "I don't believe in fairytales.~ I don't believe in fairytales.~ But I believe in you and me.~" Again as they repeated the next verses they all sung as one and Allison had to admit that they all had good voices, especially the one sister who was singing. "Take me to Wonderland.~ Take me to, take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Take me to, Take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~" That same expert swing dance in one place. Allison briefly wondered how long it took two sisters to agree and practice it? "Take me to, Take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Wonderland, Wonderland.~"

"Wonderlaaaaaand!!~ Oh!! Woah oh, oh!!" The dark pink haired twin sang loud and echoed throughtout the place. "Woah oh, oh!!~ Woah oh, oh!~ I believe in you and me!~ "

"I don't believe in fairytales!!~" Both heads sung together again only a little louder. "I don't believe in fairytales.~ I don't believe in fairytales.~ "

"But I believe in you and me!!~," The original sung out by herself.

"Take me to Wonderland.~," All five ladies on stage sung as one again, "Take me to, take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Take me to, take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Take me to, take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~" "I BELEIVE IN YOU IN ME!!~" The original singer sung out as the other four ladies continued to finish up the song. "Wonderland!!~ Take me to, take me to!~ Take me to Wonderland!!~ Take me to, take me to!~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Take me to, take me to.~ Take me to Wonderland.~ Take me to WOnderland!!~ TAKE ME TO WONDERLAND!!~"

The cheers and roars of the rowdy crowed was inevitable as all five ladies on stage took a bow, but that wasn't the end of the performance as Allison discovered when a different song began to play again from somewhere. The twins stood back up and took a stance as if to start another part of their performance. Allison blinked and found herself walking towards the front of the stage as the crowd began to die down from the first performance. This time a much deeper beat and music box sounding piano played from somewhere she couldn't see. Not that she was paying attention to anyone else but the two on stage.

"My friends don't walk they run.~ Skinny dip in rabbit holes for fun.~," this time the other sister with the longer very light pink haired ponytail sang out by herself as they slowly sashayed across the stage. "Poppin, poppin ballons with pins.~ Getting wild with barbarians.~ We paint white roses red.~ Each shade a different version of red.~ This dream, dream is a thriller.~ Getting wild with a small caterpillar.~" The paler haired twin suddenly reached up to run her gloved hand down her face. "Now I'm feeling the rush to my face.~ Cause I hate being so plaaa-a-ain.~ What's normal?~ They make me addled.~ The wilds.~ They make me feel safe.~" She suddenly sang in a louder tone when the next few versus came. "I'm nuts, baby.~ I'm mad.~ The craziest friend you've ever had.~ You think I'm Psycho, you think I'm gone.~ Tell our friends to follow along.~ Over the bend.~ Entirely bonkers.~ You like me best when I'm leading along.~ Tell you a secret.~" She made a motion as if to beckon the audience closer. " Im not alarmed.~ So what if I'm mad?~ The best people are.~ All the best people are mad, yeah.~ All the best people are.~''

Her voice like her sister's was very pretty, and sounded very different from her sisters. The light haired pink twin's voice was higher pitched but not enough to sound annoying. It sounded quite lovely and smooth.

"Where is my shrink potion?~" Allison was pulled back out of her thoughts as she began singing again. She now noticed the witch back up singers were gone and the dark haired twin who sung before was being very quiet smiling as her sister sang. "Witches, witches please listen.~ My forgetfulness is rattled.~ You can Alice, I'll be the Mad Hatter.~" She pointed out at the audience when she said Alice before pointing back to herself. "Now I'm feeling the rush to my face.~ Cause I hate feeling so Plaaa-a-ain.~ What's normal?~ They make me addled.~ The wilds.~ The make me feel safe.~" She once again spoke in a louder tone as she repeated the last verses from before. "I'm nuts.~ Baby, I'm mad.~ The craziest friend you've ever had.~ You think I'm psycho, you think I'm gone.~ Tell our friends to follow along.~ Over the bend.~ Entirely bonkers.~ You like me best when I'm leading along.~ Tell you a secret.~" Again the motion to beckon the audience but they stepped back when another man with a giant mustache was yanked back by his pal. "I'm not alarmed.~ So what if I'm mad?~ The best people are.~ You think I'm really?~" They slowly started to step around stage as they sang. "You think I'm mad.~ So what if I'm really?~ All the best people are.~ And I think your funny too.~ I know you're mad.~ That's probably the reason that we get along.~" They turned around and started walking back towards the center of the stage. "I'm nuts, baby.~ I'm mad.~ The craziest friend you've ever had.~ You think I'm psycho, you think I'm gone.~ Tell our friends to follow along.~ Over the bend.~ Entirely bonkers.~ You like me best when I'm leading along.~ Tell you a secret.~" They stopped back at middle stage and the twin currently singing held her hand up. "I'm not alarmed.~ So what if I'm really?~ The best people are.~" They stayed in one place and bounced to the beat as she sang. "All the best people are really.~ All the best people are.~ All the best people are mad, yeah.~ All the best people are.~"

The music cut out just as they finished singing and another loud roar of laughter louder than before came from the crowd as the girls bowed and blew kisses at their adoring fans and Allison reached up her own hands to cover her ears from the loud clapping and cheers. YOWCH!! THAT HURT!! Gripping the umbrella in one hand and stepping back, not noticing she stepped on one touch looking wizard's long robe. The music started up for a third time and Allison watched as they put their hands on their hips and just simply bounced along to the music this time, as the pale pink haired twin spoke.

"Just imagine a trip to a wonderous land.~ Of candy, and Jam.~ And ice cream.~"

"I gotta hit the road, you better watch it.~ With a little bag full of big tricks.~", The pink haired twin took over singing as her sister once again fell silent to her lead. "I got the voice, got the pitch, got to keep it undercover.~ All in the air, just to sing it out.~ See the stone cold face, try to knock it.~ I can't be stopped.~ Never walked.~ Gotta run it.~ I gotta be wit it, I gotta be with it.~ I gotta beda-"

A loud yell made everyone stop and look down into middle stage, Allison tripped and fell back on her bum just as the bartender was walking by with drinks. The wizard's cloak that Allison had accidentally been standing on had snagged on the wizard's neck when he tried to stand and choked him, he turned around furious not looking at Allison on the ground. Only seeing the baretender standing in her place. Angered he pushed the bartender without another word sending him flying back and spilling the beer all over the men behind him. The pirates yelled in anger as beer was poured all over them and in retaliation one threw his mug at the wizard who quickly ducked. The cup flew across the bar and hit another VERY large man sitting at a table of seven other beefy men and they immediately stood after their leader was hit in the head by a mug and covered in beer. Which lead to more beer and cups anf chairs being thrown, to people becoming more angry, to starting to throw punches, and TURNING INTO AN ALL OUT BAR FIGHT!! The women on stage covered their heads with their arms, before darting to the left of the stage as the curtains closed.

"HEY!! Wait!" Allison quickly scrambled to her feet and quickly made a beeline for the stage as the curtains closed. Lifting up her dress a little allowing her to jump over fallen men or chairs easier or move when ducking under something flying over her head. THIS IS WHY SHE HATED DRESSES!! Her heart beats picked up as she moved and once she got to the stage, she jumped onto the thing and pulled herself up onto it. Crawling umbrella in one hand fast to the curtain as it just touched the bottom of the stage. She took one last look behind her, winced at a glass breaking sound, and quickly pushed up the bottom of the old curtain to crawl underneath it. But she didn't stop there, quickly standing she looked left to where the twins ran and saw a brown door. She bolted towards it, ignoring the curtain moving or the noises of the stage as something hit them. The door burst opened and slammed when Allison pressed her back to it breathing heavily....before sighing and closing those red eyes, leaning her head onto the door. "Well, that went well." She looked back around and noticed she was in what looked like a hallway, blinking she pushed away from the door. The faint sounds of the bar fight still going on but fading as she walked along. It was barely lit and hard to see. But there was a few doors to the right, she looked at them pondering which ones the twins took.

"Well tonight was a disaster." She stopped and blinked at the sudden voice as it came threw the walls. "At least we won't get blamed for it. It's not our fault the guy made another person mad." "Ha! Yeah right. Did you see him tonight?" What sounded like two women laughing together was enough to encourage Allison to walk faster and followed the muffled sounds of talking and laughing until she found the source coming from the back of one of the very last few doors. She stopped in front of it. Should she knock? Taking in a deep breath, Allison shakily reached a hand over. And knocked on the door. The sounds of happy chatter on the other side disappeared immediately and Allison froze. .....A long silence passed until a voice spoke. "Who is it?"

She opened her throat to speak but her answer came out a nervous stutter, "I-I-I...I-I c-came to talk to you two...I n-n-need to ask you something."

Another long pause-.....

"You may enter." Allison's hand shakily grasped the doorknob as she took a big inhale. Pausing for a moment before letting it out and slowly....SLOWLY pushing the door open and letting it open by itself fully revealing the three women to each other. The room was filled with classic 'star' items such as a well furnished bed, a giant wardrobe, and a fancy vanity which the two were sitting in front of right now. The three of the held a small staring contest, before the sisters looked at each other then back at Allison. "Who are you?," The light pink haired one asked.

"A-A-Allison. ..*ahem* My name's Allison. I need your help...please."

...They blinked and looked suspicious. "And how can exactly can WE help YOU?"

"I-I need to know where to find the Fortune Teller." Both blinked in surprise as she frowned and looked at them. "PLEASE!! He's my only chance of getting home and...A-And I heard you two would know where to find him."

They must've heard the desperation in their voice because the dark haired one reached her hand out to come in. "Close the door." Allison quickly did so and the two relaxed back. Well the dark pink haired one was looking at her with a studying gaze as her sister still looked confused. "....Come in and sit down. I'm Deedee." The twin with the short ponytail pointed to herself as Allison slowly shuffled over to the bed to sit down. And then she gestured to her sister, the one with longer hair. "And this is my sister, Dumea. ...Why do you want to know where the Fortune Teller is?"

Allison swallowed under their hard gazes. "I-I...I'm really lost. I-I need a por-....Rabbit-thole to get back to there." Both looked surprised again before looking at each other. "PLEASE!! Please. I have a friend who might be hurt waiting for me and I was told you two might know where to find him!"

....."So the rumors were true." They looked back to her. "A human really did fall down here." They leaned forward and gave her a concerned look. "It's not safe for you here." "If the Queen or her guards find you," Dumea cut in tone worried, "You'll be forced to perform in one of her fights. And she never loses. Her magic's too powerful." Allison's eyes shrank and her eyes dropped. 

"....W-W-What?"

"The Hearts are jealous and fearful tyrant family that's ruled for generations. They're a very old family with strong magic that gets stronger with each generation," They continued, "The worst was Queen Velvet Hearts' parents. They wiped out nearly all the Chesires and destroyed most of the rabbitholes almost fourteen years ago."

Allison's mind wretched back to Chesire...remember how he proclaimed himself last of the Chesires-....And leaned back with a disgusted look on her face. "...That's why he was against me coming here...That's aweful!" She looked back to them. "Why would they do that?!"

Deedee shook her head. "The family was always crazy. They blamed outsiders of treason for the history the Brothers Grim shared with your world. Since then all outsiders are viewed as enemies and if any of them were to come into the Hearts kingdom they would spend the rest of their lives in the dungeon...or worse." "Queen Velvet is MUCH better than her parents or other ancestors were, but she'll still see you as a threat and lock you away. But not before making you fight to earn your freedom back before she locks you up like she does with anyone else who upsets her."...."Like us."

Allison blinked and an even more annoyed look appeared on her face. "Make you fight her? What did you guys do to hurt her and What kind of punishment is that?!"

"A much fairer one than her anscestors would've given us." "The Queen...still has traits of jealousy and vanity in her heart as all Hearts do. We used to perform for the royal court, but the Queen proclaimed we were trying to ruin her performances. So she challenged us and...." "W-We lost and she banned us from ever stepping foot in the castle again. Now we have to sing and live her to get by." "It's not a bad punishment. I'd rather get banned than thrown in the dungeon-" "But that's why you must leave." Deedee gave her a frightened look. "She's too powerful for you to take on and already there's rumor's of the queen sending guards to capture you. If you look you'll be trapped here forever."

Allison face became wide in fear and she looked at them in desperation. "T-That's why I gotta find him! He's the only one who could know how to get me back! PLEASE!! PLEASE TELL ME ANYTHING!!"

...The two sighed. "It's true we heard rumors about where he lives, but we've never seen him. Only heard of where he might live and even we aren't sure."

"PLEASE!! I'll take anything! If it means I can go home!"

....."We do not wish you to end up in our situation." "So we will tell you what we know."

Allison thanked whatever deities were listening to her prayers and gave a shuddering exhale hanging her head and looking at them. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you so much!"

"No need to thank us. You might not even find the results you want." "We heard from whispers from the courtroom's nobles that he may live in the Giant mushroom Field east of the castle, but that's all we heard and it's not gaurenteed because no one's ever seen him and told the location of his hide away."

"H-How do I get there?"

"The mushrooms. Follow the glowing pink mushrooms, they always lead right to it.".....Another pause before one Twiddle sister pointed in the direction behind them. "There's a trail that just starts on the south edge of town. The farmers use them to go collect mushrooms on the edge of the misty field before coming home to not get lost." "You should leave now. While you still have time." They stood up as they ushered her off the bed. "We'll sneak you out the back way, but you MUST leave right away. Rumors travel faster than you think and if you can't find the Fortune Teller then you'll need the head start to escape the Queen."

Allison's heart picked up pace slightly as the sisters quickly ushered her towards the door and what would eventually be her back exit. ...Getting back home just got a whole lot harder.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The song Chesire sings is Chesire Kitten(We're All Mad Here) by SJ Tucker and in no way mine.)

-These moments take place at the same time Allison ventures into the Granny's Cottage Tavern in the last chapter-

"Never wonder into the misty mushroom field alone. This place was cursed and you will get lost within the cold grasp and darkness of the fog."  
That's what her mother always told her discouraging her from going anywhere near the place of giant mushrooms and pale purple and white mist. But her mother and father were terrible people and often said often said things to prevent her from doing things THEY would disapprove of. She loathed them for that, but now she was Queen. She would restore order to the Heart name and bring peace of mind to herself. She just needed to keep doing what she was doing. Peaceful punishments and a fair fight....Well fair to her at least. Still needed some way to keep her throne and making sure her potential opponets knew who was stronger Queen was! And no one would mess with her now. Not because they were scared of her, but because they knew she was strong. Just the way it should be. Sneaking out of the castle was a sinch. Just say she wanted to be alone and under NO cercumstances were anyone aloud to disturb her, go to her restroom, and just take the secret tunnel located behind the tub. Brilliant. She's been using this old hidden away tunnel since she discovered it as a small child. Her parents never found out how she kept sneaking out past the guards or them and she never told them. Like she'd give up her one way out of their prison. But none of that matter right now in the present. Heels tapped along on the ground as pale mushrooms of all sizes surrounded her, some as big as plan mushroom while the tallest ones towered over her like trees. Pale white and purple mist blocked her sight from all directions to the point she couldn't even see the magical scepter in her hands. But she's been this way before so many times it became like second nature to her by now. Ever since meeting as children she knew. She knew this man would one day be very important, she just didn't know how important at the time. After all children couldn't predict the future...at least she couldn't, but he could.

A deep rumble of a chuckle shattered the silence of the mushroom forest and the scent of sweet incense smoke hit her sense. It made her shiver in happiness, truly a rare feeling to be hold for someone like her. Like magic, the mist parted in a tunnel and on the other side of the tunnel was the entrance to a cave, a cave this Queen of Hearts has visited so many, many times throughout the years but she didn't move just yet. One needs to be granted permission to even go past the tunnel barrier. A dull pink light lit up from inside the cave.

"Ah.~ Queen Velveteen Heart of Wonderland." The light flickered on and off with the deep voice as it chuckled again. "How you escaped you're wonderous band. The heart who yearn for knowledge they seek, do come inside and take a peek.~"

That was permission for her to enter, and she did without a second thought, as she walked the tunnel began to close behind her as the queen got closer and closer to the cave and the light within it. As soon as she stepped within the entrance the tunnel of mist sealed up back behind her and she continued to walk into the cave deeper and deeper as the light grew and grew, the light came from mushrooms that shown brightly as she walked along and didn't stop until she was at the very end of the cave entrance. ....And smiled.

"Hello...Fortune."

A deep chuckle came out as dark purple and white eyes blinked down at her and a smile came from the much taller moth man. "A hello I am given. And a hello back you are havin'.~"

She rolled her eyes before talking onto the home. "Must you always speak in ryhmes when I visit you, Dear?"

The light she saw before came from a crystal ball sat upon a small table, and ontop of the table was a dark pink table cloth. Beside the table on either side of it was matching giant chairs obviously tailored to his much bigger size, matching the colors of the tablecloth perfectly. Hanging from the ceiling was tiny bottles filled with who knows what. Some of the labels red: Tongue of Griffen, Tooth of Wolf, Unicorn Horn Dust, some unlabeled glowing liquids, etc. Father towards the other side of the home was just a somple plain giant bed and a little ways from that was a giant shelf of empty jars waiting to be filled, and a cauldron over an unlit fire pile. Other than all that, the cave was very ordinary and empty. The moth gestured to the empty seat across from him and heels echoed throughout the room as she came in and sat down in the very soft and comfy thing. The Fortune Teller, or just Fortune, was a wise but kind old friend and always offered his hospitality where others wouldn't. It was one of these things that made her own heart swell at the sight of thing magnificent man. The giant fluffy antenna on his head twitched again as he chuckled at her, before taking one of his four hands and reaching to take another drab of that sweet smelling smoke. The small smoke device he had was always beside him whenever she visited and it was always a pink-purple smoke effect.

He blew the sweet smelling vapor away from her and offered her a grin. "Well, you know it's been a family tradition of mine for generation after generation.~ Now, I thought my crystal ball said I would be getting a visitor, but I didn't expect you of all people during this time. " He held up the glowing white ball in two of his hands. "What has brought you to me? Are you here with yet another marriage proposal?" Her face immediately flushed red and he chuckled even more. "Now don't be bashful. We've known each other for too long for secrets.~"

She had to gulp down the secret lump In her throat and cleared it to speak. "N-No. Though my offer still stands on that."

He chuckled more before leaning back. "And my answer is always the same. Our hearts as fate would have written It are intertwined, but only when I think you are ready for such a step. You are not YET ready to go into such a big emotional step such as that."

Such was always his answer which she thought was ridiculous. She more ready than she ever could've been. With him by her side, everyone would feel more at ease knowing the Wise Fortune Teller was their leader now. King Fortune had a ring to it....But his answer was always the same. Not now. Not no or yes. Just not at this moment. She took a deep sigh. Now was not the time to get into that though, she had other things to discuss. "I have heard whispers from my roses that a human had fallen into Wonderland near the edge of the Giants' Forest."

He paused about to take another inhale of sweet smoke...before slowly looking to her with a grin. "Really? Hmm. I thought I felt the feeling of something new in the air." His giant wings shifted as did his cloak as he leaned forward. "And why does the queen come to myself with such news? I doubt you just wish to gossip."

"You would be correct about that. I need to know where she is."

"Hmm. Not even a day with the news and you don't give your guards a chance to find this human?"

"It's not that I don't trust them. It's that this is happening in the middle of my plans for my next show, and you know I never cancel those under any circumstances."

He chuckled again and his one free hand reached up to rub his chin. "Still making up for what you missed out on as a child I see. You're still the same little girl who wished to be a dancer instead of princess after all.~"

She scowled. "I can and will be both. My title doesn't define who I am. Now, about the information I seek. Will you help me or not, Fortune?"

The old moth sat there humming in thought, taking a long drag of the smoke pipe before letting it out slower. The dim light of the cave making him look like a dragon breathing fire than a moth. His eyes narrowed at her for a moment. " And what exactly will you do once you capture this poor human? I will give you my answer after you give me yours. Only fair."

"I'll do what I always do when someone threatens me or my kingdom. Show a display of my strength. Outsiders aren't very welcome, they're thieves and as such, she'll have the same opportunity as any of the others had."

His eyes narrowed more. "And what are you planning on doing if 'she' looses to you?"

A pause. ...."Then she'll be sent to the dungeons-"

"Ah." He held up his free hand again and smiled. "And that is why I have not accepted yet." She blinked as he easily reached out and poked her head. "You want change. Which is good. And you're thinking with this." His poking was clearly gesturing to her brain. "Which is good. A smart mind usually leads to smart choices. ...Usually. But you're lacking much more of this." His hand then came to point at her chest. "For your name of Heart, you much use is literally. Think about how people feel to be forced to battle against an unfair enemy who always wins anyways, think about when you're jealousy caused as a results of your parents make you lash out at others." Another long drag and puff of his pipe as he studied the frozen queen. "Think about ALL the innocent ones still affected by your lack of heart Hearts. The innocent Twiddle Sisters, the man you banished for his more beautiful hair,.....An innocent wondering aimlessly human who is most likely afraid and confused by what she sees.....And a lover awaiting for your motivation of empathy."

She just silently sat there and stared up at his face, a cord striking inside her at his words and she looked back down to avoid eye contact as it all sank in to her. "..O-Oh....I see."

A small silence followed as he still silently stared at her, before reaching under the table with his free hand. "But if you still wish to make a descision on what to do with her,-" She blinked back up to him as he pulled out old sticks with teeny tiny carvings carved into them of symbols she didn't recognize. "Then I shall help you." Without another word, the sticks were thrown up into the air and their eyes followed as they fell back down towards the table and he moved his crystal ball just in time for them to bounce along the table and stop in random places and poses. Silently, he gazed his studying gaze down to the sticks on the table. His free hand coming out to hover over the small wooden tools, poking them every few seconds. Seeming to read the symbols in some order.....Before he looked back up to her. ".....You shall find her by tomorrow afternoon inside the domain of the last of the Chesire family."

Any color remaining in her face left once she heard that. "THE CHESIRE CAT?!" She yelled at his still calm form and he nodded to her question. And her eyes shrank. "That creature's just as unpredictable and dangerous as the slain jabberwocky was. His family's inherited magic rivals mine....He's n-not one to be messed with."

He smiled. "You're scared of him? Hmm. Well then this is a problem that should be consulted further." He looked back to the sticks and gazed at the alignment of symbols and....His smile slowly disappeared as he hummed and leaned closer to smaller sticks near the center. Eyes narrowing to thin lines and remaining that way as he slowly resmiled. Well, well, well. A surprise or two more we've gotten now it seems. ".....It seems this Chesire shall be most drained of most of his energy as he's currently somewhere where his magic cannot simply replenish as fast as it usually does...How strange. None the less, if you still seek to capture the human then he will be weak enough to take her from there easily."....Without looking up he stopped dead looking at a big stick. Two smaller ones were laying across it and he gave it a weary look. ".....But a word of cation to this tale." His eyes flickered up to her. "This human girl and chesire cat are intertwined in a similar fate as you and I. If you take her from him there will be repercussions. Whether from the Human or Chesire they refuse to tell me."

She sat there dead silently as he leaned back up and looked at her patiently waiting for her to speak- The chair slightly scraped as she stood up and took a big inhale scepter in hand. "....V-Very well. I s-s-shall definitely take all your words into consideration then. Thank y-y-you for your services, Fortune."

He sat back in his chair and chuckled. "But of course dear Veleteen.~ You are welcome here anytime....But think wisely about your actions. For they will affect your outcome greatly."

"I-I definitely shall. Rest assured of that."

He watched calmly as she turned to leave. Heels clicking and echoing throughout his humble home as she made her way over to the exit. "Velveteen." She stooped and looked over her shoulder at him. "...If your outcome is one I think is worthy enough. You shall have me."

She almost fully turned to him with wide eyes. "You mean-"

He nodded. "But it all depends on what happens now doesn't it? Go. And we'll see what becomes of the outcome."

***************************************************************************************************************

Still raining. 

What a surprise huh? The time he's most upset is the time this world chooses to keep on downpouring and thundering away outside. It must've been rain season here or something because this is the second day in a row it's been raining hard and it didn't look like the storm would let up anytime soon unfortunately. It was fine by him. He couldn't care less about the noises or the water dripping outside. He had let his magic replenish quite a lot and used all he had to repair half of the mirror now, the other half was still in shattered pieces on the floor waiting to be fixed and pushed back into place. And he oh so desired to just go straight home and let himself rest for quite a while after this, but he still had one thing to worry about. Allison. She was still who knows where down there maybe suffering or incredibly lost or who knows what else. And it was all his fault. He's the one who never secured the mirror properly, or didn't reach her in time. And he was taking so long to fix this stupid rabbithole so he could jump in it and go find her and bring her home. Where she would definitely be safe......Gods above. HE WAS A TERRIBLE FRIEND. They had just been rekindling their friendship for just a little over a month, he was learning human boundaries, and she was starting to loosen up and become that beautiful childhood friend he'd been yearning to have once again. Only for it to disappear in one single night.

For the first time in years, the sly, mischevious, powerful Chesire Cat was reduced to that same small lost kitten he had been years ago. He just limply sat there slumped over with his fluffy tail wrapped around his paws as he rested near the mirror fragments. The only sounds being the rain beating the roof and the thunder of the dark sky over head...And the occasional sniff from the worried cat as he sat there and tried to reassure himself of it all. Allison would be ok. She was still the same determined small girl he knew when they were young, she could survive a day or two by herself. And after one more magical burst he could finally go through. He should be able to go back home by tomorrow afternoon if he rested throughout the night. But he couldn't sleep. He couldn't just calm his nerves and stop himself from jittering and the tears at bay. GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF SCARDY CAT!! NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO BE ACTING LIKE A FRAIDY CAT AND WORRYING!! YOU NEED A LEVEL HEAD!! WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO WHEN YOU'RE UPSET!?.....He blinked.

What DID he like to do when he was upset? Sing of course. ...But could he even muster up the courage to even do that when he was feeling like the world was collapsing on him again? The room continued to remain silent minus the rain and thunder outside.

"....I grew up s-seeing things a little differently.~" A small voice whisper sang in a shaky voice from the small curled up pile of blue fur. "Ap-p-pearing, disappearing, hardly innocent, nor tied down to the ground.~ I learned to r-roll and t-tumble with the punches.~ Glory in my stripes and spots, walk by invisible and never make a sound.~" Thunder suddenly went of after that last sentence, as if challenging the 'never make a sound' verse.....His tail moved itself from his face and he turned his head to the storm outside. "....But heavy is the crown that's always hidden.~...Tender is the heart you never see.~" He pushed himself off and sat in a pose a normal cat would and challenged the rain back with a smile. "Hard and fast shines the grin that we flash, but there's a vulnerable stripe or two on me!~ Maybe anyplace outside of Wonderland is not for me, my friend.~" He turned his head and caught his reflections in the many tiny shards of broken mirror pieces...and smiled. "If I leave my grin behind, remind me that we're all mad here and that's ok."

He looked back to the dark storm outside and rose a brow at it. Well he was always a bigger fan of the sun anyways wasn't he?

"Sun up, sun down the shadows hide me down in Wonderland, Wonderland.~ Nobody knows the way.~ But if you find in your dreams, you can find it at your day job somewhere south of hell.~ Take the path to left or right with just your gut to guild you.~ The story is not for anyone else to tell.~" His smile returned as he sped up the next verses. "Go down the rabbit hole and out the other side.~ You can't go home in the middle of a magic ride.~You gotta great the sun before his lovely daughter moon.~ You can't forsake the journey for the safety of your room.~ Until you learn. Your. Lesssooon wellll.~"

The storm shot a lightning bolt outside and a giant thunder crashed across the sky as if really taunting him about learning any real lessons well or not, but he just greeted it back with that giant Chesire grin of his and narrowed eyes to match. Oh what a sight he must've been. Grinning at a storm of all things like a madman, and still shedding tears for a woman he lost to it.

"I have learned to see and hear everybody loud and clear but the truth comes out in riddles that are safe enough to share.~ That's how it is in songs you see, and stripes always look good on me.~ Whether or not I'm really there, smile hangs within the air.~" His grin flashed to the ceiling as his front paw bounced to the beat only he could hear. "But heavy is the burden of the wise ones when no one understands a word they say.~ The Jabberwok never bothered anyone, but nobody believes in him to this day and why should they?~ If I leave my grin behind me, remind me that we're all mad here and that's ok.~" The tears finally stopped and his head began bouncing to the beat too as he closed his eyes and sung louder. "Sun up, sun down the shadows hide me down in Wonderland, Wonderland.~ Nobody knows the way.~ But if you find in your dreams, you can find it at your day job somewhere south of hell.~ Take the path to left or right with just your gut to guild you.~ The story is not for anyone else to tell.~" Again he sped up the next few verses. "Go down the rabbit hole and out the other side.~ You can't go home in the middle of a magic ride.~You gotta greet the sun before his lovely daughter moon.~ You can't forsake the journey for the safety of your room.~ Until you learn. Your. Lesssooon wellll.~"

Again another crash as if to still question if he learnt anything but he was done listening to any gloomy storms for a long time. Moping and being scared wasn't helping him or anyone else.

"Is it the stripes or spots you see?~ Was it hearts or diamonds baby that brought you here to me?~ Darling, you know better than to trust a pack of cards!~ What have we learned?~" He actually asked himself as he sang, and he knew exactly what to answer himself back with. "The world is never as mad as it could be!~ La dadadadada dadada.~ OH! If I leave my grin behind, then remind me that we're all mad here.~....And that's ok.~"

The thunder was still storming out side and he sucked in and out a few deep breaths steadying himself before those pretty mitch matched eyes opened back up to gaze at the world around him. Heavy feelings weighed off his chest for the time being and some happiness returned to him. This was fine for now. He would find her and not a lot of dangers except for one he considered a threat remained and unless she ran into a bad witch which wasn't too likely, and she would be fine. Right now he needed rest for his body to fully recover. He yawned and stretched his body out like a regular cat would and again curled in on himself. The small cat slowly falling into a well needed slumber as the rain and thunder still did it's disapproving melody outside.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The Song the Fortune Teller sings is Rabbit hole by AViVA and some words have been replaced to fit the story better. I in no way own the song or anything.)

Just follow the pink mushrooms. 

Simple enough. Allison had followed the Twiddle Sisters instructions and started for the south side of the small town of Enchanted Vil. but now she was very much worried. The Queen was after her? How many people knew that? Was there other people searching for her or guards? Was she being watched right now by someone? Was she even safe? Did anyone know the 'human' was her?...Well other than the sisters and Marsh and Hatter, but she had a feeling they wouldn't tell anyone. Hatter and Marsh lived way to far from the castle it seemed, wherever the castle was, and it sounded like the sisters would rather NOT associate with the Queen or anyone who knows her by the sound of them. She tried not to look suspiciously at all as she headed south of the small village and the houses started to become fewer and fewer. And the people and magical beings started to also become fewer, from the large town square to just a few people here and there as she walked by. She kept looking back over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure no one was following her and as to not seem suspicious, she pretended to be looking back up at the sky that was slowly changing in colors again from that light blue sun-less day to the silent night. With the way she was going there wasn't any cobblestone roads beyond the last few houses who hugged the edge of the tree line where the think woods started up again. She didn't like the thought of trudging through tall grass with her stockings getting wet from dew again, but the thought of someone capturing her was far worse. So with one last look behind her, there wasn't anyone there thankfully, she squeezed between two wooden small homes and popped out the other side heading deeper into the unknown forest again. Now what did they say? Glowing pink mushrooms? She could barely see her own hand let alone the ground. What if she ran into a wild animal like a bear or a snake? Her grip on the umbrella became even tighter at the thought of that and gulped. Looking around even faster searching for any pink glowing things as she stepped along the dark forest-

"WA- OOF!!"

Tripping over a small log, she fell flat onto her stomach, thankfully not letting go of the umbrella. But she groaned before slowly lifting her head up. She really hated not having any light, but luckily this pink nightlight was here to help her see-.....PINK NIGHTLIGHT!! She blew the hair out of her face and shook her head, shooting up to her feet and staring down to where she fell...and smiled. THERE WAS A GLOWING PINK MUSHROOM!! And another one was a few feet away from it followed by another and another, and another until there was a trail of glowing pink fungi going off deeper in the middle of the woods. She didn't hesitate to start following them at a brisk pace with a smile on her face. Deeper and deeper into the woods she went, and darker and darker it got. She wasn't sure how long she had been at this but this world's strange moon was climbing higher and higher into the skin at least showing it had been half the night. She was starting to get tired and yawned every few minutes. Her body started moving slower and she was starting to feel sore again from all the walking she's done for the last few days, but didn't stop even first her vision was starting to become misty....Wait a second. That wasn't her vision she blinked more and found her self suddenly surrounded by fog...Whitish purple fog. ...She blinked and swiveled her head around and around again. No signs of glowing pink mushrooms, or any other light source. It wasn't as dark anymore but now...Somehow she had gotten lost in her sleepy state. Great! Just what she needed. The slight panic set in and- She yelped and whirled behind her and came face to face with a white mushroom that came up to about her shoulders. ...Mushrooms. Didn't the sisters say that the Fortune Teller was rumored to live in the Misty Mushroom valley...or whatever this place was called? Somewhere with fog and mushrooms. Allison blinked yet again and looked around gripping that umbrella of hers. Well..This was the place. Now the big question was, which way to go now? There wasn't anymore glowing things and every direction looked the same....Well she came this far, she turned in the direction she had originally been walking and kept going straight. Even if she didn't find this Fortune Teller she'd at least eventually get out of this misty maze one way or another. So she started walking forward.

Deeper and deeper into this misty valley she traveled without any lights, or sounds, or any sense of direction. Where the world was she heading? And how long had she been at this? More yawns came through as she walked along passing mushrooms and getting more and more tired by the second. Until a deep rumble of a chuckle sounded out- She jumped with a small gasp and whirled behind her brandishing her umbrella like a sword ready to hit someone over the head with it...But no one was there. Still on edge her head swirled around her in all directions keeping her eyes out for anyone...but there was still no one there....Maybe her tired mind was playing tricks on her.

"Rabbit hole!~," that same deep voice sung out and two more verses of 'rabbit hole' echoed around her making her jump more and look around wildly. Where was that voice coming from? "I could say I help you.~ I could say I aid you.~ But underneath all I plan to do, to do is lead you.~ You could make a breakthrough.~ Watching others wait til I lead you and they can initiate you.~ No one understands me.~ Too scared to command me.~ Walking through an empty wonderworld of others dancing.~" She blinked and looked behind her. The main noise of the voice came from that direction. "No one understands me.~ Too scared to command me.~ Walking through an empty wonderworld of others dancing.~"

Like all the other people she's heard sing so far this man, she assumed it was male by the tone of the voice, was pretty smooth but unlike Chesire's this voice was deeper and had a serious underline to it despite that cheerful singing. Could it be-....She blinked. And began to slowly walk towards the source of the loud voice. 

"I'll lead you into my home.~ You'll be deep in your thoughts.~ Fall inside the rabbithole again!~....I'll lead you into my home.~ You'll be deep in your thoughts.~ Fall inside the rabbithole again!~" The voice suddenly boomed out- "RABBITHOLE!!~" Again two echoes of 'rabbithole' sounded back as she slowly walked catiously to it. "Rabbithole again!~ Rabbithole!!~" More echoes. "Rabbithole again!! RABBITHOLE!!" Again more echoes. "Rabbitholes again.~"

Allison made sure to keep her umbrella in a 'ready to swing at anything' position as she ever so slowly approached the loud voice. She wasn't taking any chances with this new voice, especially after learning their was a queen after her behind.

"I won't wait to help you.~ I will not forsake you.~ I'll wait as long, as long as it takes you.~ You will say you need me.~ Say you don't beleive me.~ You can try but you will never, never, never doubt me.~ No one understands me.~ Too scared to command me.~ Walking through an empty wonderworld of others dancing.~ No one understands me.~ Too scared to command me.~ Walking through an empty wonderworld of others dancing.~.....I'M to late to be left alone.~ To bad to say I don't know.~ Too late to turn back time.~ ....NOW FALL INSIDE THE-"

She yelped at the sudden loud change in the voice and she guessed her startled yelp must've made the voice cool it as she looked around frantically again.....Before sucking in and letting out a deep breath. Before continueing towards it again.

"I'll lead you into my home.~ You'll be deep in your thoughts.~ Fall inside the rabbithole again!~....I'll lead you into my home.~ You'll be deep in your thoughts.~ Fall inside the rabbithole again!~" The voice suddenly boomed out- "RABBITHOLE!!~" Again two echoes of 'rabbithole' sounded back as the voice repeated the verses again. "Rabbithole again!~ Rabbithole!!~" More echoes. "Rabbithole again!! RABBITHOLE!!" Again more echoes. "Rabbitholes again.~"

She was starting to wonder what was up with all these strange characters singing so much to random people?...Not that she was in any place to judge. She couldn't sing to save her life.....But OH. How she would have to soon as she would later find out.

"I have been waiting, You.~ I have always been waiting.~ I will always help you out.~ 'Cause you cannot escape here.~" ....She froze....How did that thing know she-...."I have been waiting, You.~ I have always been waiting.~ I will always help you out.~ 'Cause you cannot escape here.~......I'll lead you into my home.~" The voice boomed out even louder and it sounded SO close. "You'll be deep in your thoughts.~ Fall inside the rabbithole again!~....I'll lead you into my home.~ You'll be deep in your thoughts.~ Fall inside the rabbithole again!~"

She looked around wildly for the source of that noise, how was it able to know she was lost in here?!

"RABBITHOLE!!~" Again two echoes of 'rabbithole' sounded back as the voice repeated the verses again. "Rabbithole again!~ Rabbithole!!~" More echoes. "Rabbithole again!! RABBITHOLE!!" Again more echoes. "Rabbitholes again.~.......I have been waiting, You.~ I have always been waiting.~ I will always help you out.~ 'Cause you cannot escape here.~" 

Allison still looked around. Even as the voice echoed out and faded away and she wondered if it left for a moment. ...

"Hello, Human.~'' She jumped and looked around wildly for the source of the voice, but still didn't see anyone there. "I've been expecting you. My sticks fortold your arrival. Though I wasn't expecting you so soon."

...Sticks? What? She shook her head and kept looking around holding that umbrella out. "I-I'm n-not looking for trouble!" Her voice stuttered out and she wished it didn't. "I-I'm just looking for someone called the F-F-Fortune Teller."

"And you found me."

She froze. "....Are YOU the fortune teller guy?"

"Correct. Now if you would please turn around."

.....Confused, Allison did so and stopped. Her eyes widening as her hair blew around from the magical blast. Like magic, the mist parted in a tunnel and on the other side of the tunnel was the entrance to a cave. Allison just stood there stunned and amazed at the entire thing as another deep chuckle picked up. A dull pink light lit up from inside the cave.

"Oh human so small and meak.~ You have permission to come inside and take a peek.~" The light flickered on and off with the deep voice as it chuckled again as she still stood there staring. "That means you can come in. To see me that lies within."

That was permission for her to enter, and she did after a few long moments of standing there suspiciously, as she slowly walked the tunnel began to close behind her as Allison got closer and closer to the cave and the light within it. As soon as she stepped within the entrance the tunnel of mist sealed up back behind her and she looked behind her in surprise,...before continuing to walk into the cave deeper and deeper as the light grew and grew. Oh so now there's light. the light came from mushrooms that shown brightly as she walked along and didn't stop until she was at the very end of the cave entrance. ..And stared wide eyed. The light she saw before came from a crystal ball sat upon a small table, and ontop of the table was a dark pink table cloth. Beside the table on either side of it was matching giant chairs obviously tailored to his much bigger size, matching the colors of the tablecloth perfectly. Hanging from the ceiling was tiny bottles filled with who knows what. Some of the labels red: Tongue of Griffen, Tooth of Wolf, Unicorn Horn Dust, some unlabeled glowing liquids, etc. Father towards the other side of the home was just a somple plain giant bed and a little ways from that was a giant shelf of empty jars waiting to be filled, and a cauldron over an unlit fire pile. Other than all that, the cave was very ordinary and empty. A. GIANT. MOTH!! Was sitting there at the table staring at her with a smile. Two of his hands holding a glowing white ball and A third holding some kind of smoke pipe, as his free hand held his head. The air had a very sickening sweet smell like too much sugar, and dark pink smoke encircled him like the mist outside as he sat there studying her. The giant fluffy antenna on his head twitched again as he chuckled at her, before taking one of his four hands and reaching to take another drab of that sweet smelling smoke, while gesturing to the giant chair in front of him.

"Come in. Sit down please. I've been expecting you, Miss." She still stared at the glory that was the moth man,..but without thinking walked closer as he watched, and she coughed a few times from the pink fog swirling around them, before she slowly sat down across from him. Her sore muscles finally getting some kind of relief from the long tired walking she'd done for the past two days. And he smiled friendlier. "No need to be frightened. My crystal ball has told me you would be needing my help, and it's rare I get visitors."

"....Y-YOU are the fotune teller?," she asked still stunned.

He chuckled. "Yes, I thought I already said that. You may call me Fortune. And what might your name be, Human?"

"....A-Allison?"

"Well, Allison, It very nice to meet you. Now what have you come seeking me for?"

....She finally seemed to snap out of it and blinked up at him. "OH! UH-..R-R-Right.Well-" She rubbed the back of her neck as she stared up at the patient looking moth..and coughed again. "I need to get home!"

"Ah. You're searching for a rabbithole back to the outside world aren't you?"

Her face lit up with a desperate smile. "YES!! Yes, that's exactly what I'm looking for. D-Do you know where I can find one?"

His smile slowly went into a thin line as he hummed. Reaching the smoke pipe over to suck in and slowly breath out another plume of smoke. "The thing you seek, I know where you can find. But getting to it will be harder then you think. For you see, there are a few ways in but only one way out, and that one way is the queen's magic mirror in the castle keep. ...You will be sent from where you last entered, but you'll have to venture INTO the Heart Queen's domain to get to it." 

She stared mouth agape at him. She had to....GO INTO THE QUEEN CASTLE?! THE SAME PERSON WHO WAS CURRENTLY TRYING TO IMPRISON HER?! WAS HE CRAZY?! "WHAT?!," she shouted gawking at him, "How-....What am I supposed to do now?!"

He only hummed and gaze back down to the shiny white orb. Seemingly reading something on it and looking back to her. "There's a way in you see, but a friend's help you desperately need."

She blinked. "A friend?"

"Yes, and a helping hand I will give you for these troubling time. But you must leave right now if you wish to meet him in time." Her face dropped as he leaned to the side reaching under the table. MORE walking? Great. Just what she needed, as if she wasn't tired enough from the entire thing. Where was she gonna be sent THIS ti-...Wait, did he say meet him? Him who? He leaned back up with something in his one free hand and uncurled his fist. Inside it moving around was a tiny little glowing white butterfly. "Follow the butterfly and do NOT stop until you reach the circus tent it brings you too." His nudge his hand and the small tiny creature fluttered around and came to stop hovering near the entrance of the cave she came in as it waiting for her. She blinked and looked back to him, and he made a shooing motion with his hand. "Well? Off you go, on your way. If you don't hurry you won't ever get back home. Trust me, you won't have any other chance if you don't take this now."

....There wasn't any room to argue with that logic. So no matter how much her body yelled at her not too, she tiredly forced herself up and turned to the fluttering white glowing insect. As she stepped closer and closer to it, it began to flutter away back down the glowing cave's entrance and she tiredly followed after. Getting back home was going to be harder than she thought.

"Good luck to you, Miss Allison. You'll need that determination to get home."

***************************************************************************************************************

Alomost there.....ALMOSTTHEREALMOSTTHTHEREALMOSTTHERE!! The sun peeked up over the sky but it was still fairly dark with the ongoing storm. Persistant, wasn't it? The crackling of the last of the giant shards of glass crackled and shined as it went back together, the cracks sealed back to normal until the very last peice was sealed back together and floated towards the mirror. Where it looked like one last peice was missing like a piece out of a big puzzle. And he was about to fix it. Thunder and lightning cracked across the sky as the cat's badly shaking paws aimed the scepter at the mirror and strained his magic one last time as it crackled back into place along with it's shiny counterparts. The glass crackled as it sealed back into place, and finally after two days and hours of exhausting his magic and body, the magic mirror was complete. He dropped to his knees in exhaustion but smiling. He did it.....He FINALLY fixed the thing. He chuckled and knew he couldn't stop now. Standing back on shaking legs, he wobble ran towards the mirror, almost tripping a couple times before jumping.

The smiling cat disappeared into the portal with a few ripples going across the reflective surface like water. Leaving the taunting storm behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The song Chesire sings is Welcome to Wonderland by Anson Seabra. And I in no way own it.)

She was SO. DANG. TIRED!!

Allison yawned and shuffled her sore feet along as she kept walking through the tall grass, bushes, and other plants through the forest to wherever this glowing butterfly took her. She had been following this small glowing creature for the longest time now and she was sure she was about to fall over any minute now from sleep deprivation. Her red eye blinked tiredly up at the thing as it fluttered a few feet ahead of her. Stopping every so while to let her catch up because of her sore and slow movements. She didn't know how long she was at this just walking through dense forest and tiredly and blankly at the pretty glowing insect. She was starting to wonder how long this was gonna last- Allison turned her tired blinking eyes ahead of her-....And stopped. The butterfly flew a little ways in front of her and stopped in-between two trees that were on the edge of the tree line leading into what looked like a giant clearing and on the far side of said clearing there a huge pink mass blocked from view by the trees ahead on her. She blinked and despite her tiredness, she rushed forward, stumbling over her feet falling to her knees a few times, but each time pushing her self up and running more until she burst through the treeline and was standing a few feet into the field.

".....O-Oh my goodness." 

The field was MASSIVE. At least two or three football fields. Long grass waved gently in the wind as a few wild flowers poked their colorful heads out of the beautiful green grass and into the morning-.....Was it morning? She couldn't tell. She's been walking for so dang long. They lifted into the light anyways. And smack dab in the middle of this field was A. GIANT. PINK. CIRCUS TENT!! Just like the Fortune Teller told her. She didn't hesitate this time, umbrella in hand, she grabbed the hem of the tacky red dress she wore and began stumble running through the tall grass towards the tent as fast as she could. Her heart beating in her chest as she did. The Fortune Teller said the person inside the tent could help her get home! This was the last person she'd have to run to before she got home! That nice cozy non threatening home, with a soft bed she was gonna collapse into as soon as she got there. Or the couch. Anything would be better than a floor or walking constantly through the woods. She could finally see if Chesire was ok. She didn't know if the mirror fell on him or if he was alright! The sooner Allison got back the sooner she could see him! That thought pushed her forward and right now she didn't care if her legs and feet hurt. She could rest as soon as she got home! The tent was getting closer now, thank goodness it was in the middle of the field of grass so she wouldn't have to run for much longer she hoped!....Unfortunately she didn't see the shiny glim of the suits of armor as she was running past, or the men watching from the shadows who had spotted her as she ran across no longer needing any magical butterflies. 

The one who was presumably the leader of the small group of armored men followed along Allison's path with a telescope, which gave him a full close up view of the human as she ran across the clearing of grass. "...Blonde-red hair..Red clothes...She matches the description of what her majesty has told us."..Eventually he put it down and stared at the blur heading for the large tent. "That must be her. Let us move in while we still have the element of surprise."

The three men behind him looked at one another unsure, before the middle one spoke. "I- Uh...I d-d-don't if this is a good idea, Captain." The soilder stuttered before leaning sideways to glance to the pink tent set up over there ....and gulped. "I-I-...N-No one messes with the Chesire. Y-Y-You know what he did year's ago!" He trembled as he shook and gulped. "I-I d-don't want to be turned to dust! "

"Would you rather face the Queen?," he asked back putting the telescope back into his harness as the three again exchanged looks. Facing the Queen and her temper didn't sound that appealing either...But when faced with the option of facing her or the rouge Chesire-

"E-Even the Queen never deals with the Chesire," a second one spoke and their leader narrowed his eyes watching as the blur of the girl disappeared into the tent entrance. 

".....We won't be. Our orders were to retrieve the lady unharmed and bring her to her majesty, that old cat's weak right now according to her. And I am never one to go against the Queen's orders. Now come." He started making his way from the treeline as the others exchanged one last look....before following after their leader. "It's time for our task to be complete."

Allison had stopped and was taking deep long breaths as she stared up at the sight of this absolutely large and massive tent, and briefly wondered who could've been living here. A giant maybe? Or maybe there was a whole slew of circus actors and she needed a whole team to break into a castle? She didn't know. She was tired, hungry, and so desperate to just have this whole thing over and done with. She was willing to do anything at this point. So still breathing deeply from running, her hand shakily reached out and pulled the curtain entrance back. What was met was a long hallway of tent fabric. She blinked, before catiously stepping in and began stepping. The flap flopping back into place behind her, as she walked she couldn't help but feel a certain strange familiarity. It was hard to describe but she almost felt ....at home? She shook her head. No. It was because she was so tired. She was starting to turn her brain to mush. The tented hallway suddenly stopped and split into two different directions and she stopped for a moment to blink tiredly between the two directions, wondering which way she should go-....Wait. What was- She shook her head again and looked up as soft piano music started playing. No. Surely she must be hearing things, she looked right at the hallway the music seemed to magically flow from-

"Welcome to Wonderland.~ We've got it all.~ Potions and pastries that make you grow tall.~ Forests and cottages, castles and cards that can talk~," a very smooth familiar voice flowed down from the same hallway that the piano music was coming from, singing some kind of song. And she blinked again and shook her head at it as It continued singing. "Welcome to Wonderland.~ Look where you're at.~ Maddest of Hatters...the Chesire Cat.~" There was an emphasis on 'the chesire cat' that made her pause and absolutely froze, brain whirling. "Magical cabins and lovely white rabbits with clocks.~ Dancing through a dream underneath the stars.~ Laughing til the morning comes.~ Everyone that leaves has a heavy heart.~ Oh, Wonderland I love.~"

That voice. It sounded so familiar. It fact it sounded just like-

"CHESIRE?!", she shouted desperately down the hall and other than the music there wasn't any noise- A very familiar giggled rang out. She jumped. And immediately stumble ran down this hallway as the singing continued.

"Welcome to Wonderland.~ I'll be your guide.~ Holding your hand under sapphire skies.~" She came to another junction of two pathways and looked between them heart racing- "Let's go exploring or we could just go for a walk.~ Welcome to Wonderland.~ Where should we go?~" It was coming from the left now! Allison quickly followed in the direction of the music and singing and this hallway seemed longer than the last two. "There's a tea party along down the road.~ Make an appearance and maybe they'll sing us a song.~ Dancing through a dream underneath the stars.~ Laughing til the morning cooooomes.~ Everyone that leaves has a heavy heart.~" She stopped smack dab in the middle of a circle of hallway entrances now. SERIOUSLY?! This place was more like a maze than a tent. "Oh, Wonderland I Love.~"

Allison desperately looked around in circles at the multiple entrances, including the way she ran though there was five tunnels in total and she wasn't sure exactly which way to go yet. "Chesire!? C-C-Come on! This isn't f-funny!" She couldn't help the small tears beginning to form from the corners of her eyes. "Im lost and Im t-tired of running around! P-Please come out!"

The singing completely stopped for a good few moments- Before the tunnel in front of her began playing piano music louder and she zeroed in on it. "Nothing here is quite as it seems.~ Not sure if anything's real or a dream.~" She immediately made a dash towards that voice and began stumble running down a LONG hallway. "And the only thing sure from the start is the song that's inside of your heart.~ Don't let it leave.~" A light shown up in the end between two more tent flaps and with a desperate breath she ran and launched herself at it pushing the things aside and breathing heavily now inside the large room. Tears streaming down her face. But she could care less about anything else in the big room. Those red eyed locked onto the small blue furry ball sitting ontop of a wind up piano as the notes magically played by themselves. The mischevious cat was smiling softly at her and gave an almost guilty look. "If this is a dream then at least I got memories for when the morning coooomes.~" He sang before he jumped off the piano before bounding a few feet away from her. "Now That I must leave with a heavy heart.~ Oh, Wonderland I love.~......Hello, Allison. Welcome to Wonderland." He tipped his tiny hat to her. "I'll be your guide from now on."

The crying , shaking woman stood there tiredly blinking and staring at the small cat as he silently stared smiling back. Before Allison literally dropped to her knees and scooped Chesire into her arms. Crying her eyes out. Chesire didn't mind one bit as she widely smile back and hugged back. Just happy his old friend was alive and well and unharmed. Allison smiled despite herself through that tired face of hers and hiccuped. Reaching a hand up to wipe at her eyes and pull back to look the crazy cat in the eyes.

"I-I thought you might've gotten hurt! I'm so happy you're ok!...*sniff* H-Hey. How did you get here a-anyways?"

He giggled and pushed away from her grip floating again. "The same way you did! It just took myself some time and a lot of magic to piece it back together again. Where have YOU been this entire time? And how in the name of madness did you find my home? Not that I'm complaining of course!" His smile widened. "I'm so glad you found me, but how Is something my curiousity needs to know."

....She blinked. "OH! Right. Well-" She still remained on her knees just motioned with her hands as she spoke. "W-W-Well, I crash landed in a Giant's forest, and then a mouse spoke to me. And then I was talking to a mouse in a dress, and she said to talk to this Hatter and Hare. And then they let me sleep on the floor and told me to find these Twiddle sisters. I had to walk SO much just to find them, then I had to dodge a bar fight." She blinked tiredly and pointed at him. "Did...*yawwwwwn* Did I mention I haven't slept very well for two night and walked for about two days straight?..I'm so exhausted...Oh! And those sisters told me to find this Fortune Teller guy. He was this huge moth! And he made me follow this glowing bug all the way here through the woods....Oh! Did I also mention this dress is REALLY tacky?"

He listened patiently and giggled when she finished shaking his head. "Well, I'm so happy and so surprised you made it all the way here! As soon as all my magic is restored I'll think of someway to bring you home where you belong. In the meantime you can stay with me!"

...She smile dropped, suddenly remembering something. "...O-oh. About that. I-I have bad news-"

(This next few movements of the Chesire cat Im completely referencing what he does from the 'Vivienne Medrano - Updated Animation Reel 2015' video on youtube, since it's the only real animation of Chesire I'm using as much information and material presented to us I can. So if you wanna see that particular small animation of him, look up the video I named on youtube and skip to 1:14, and 1:44 in the vid.)

He jumped up higher in the air and held his staff out gesturing to the tent around him. Right behind him was the doorway she came in from."Welcome to the Cat's Meow Tent, Ladies and Gentlemen! Here you'll find out anything is but an ask away!" At 'away' he leaned back and she giggled as he did a back fip still talking. "But of course, these halls will make you flip for excitement.~" All of a sudden his head popped off his shoulders and his staff floated in mid air as he shrugged. "You don't wanna loose your head getting lost do ya? She giggled as he reached up to pull his head back onto his shoulders. "No, of course not.~ Just stick with me and I gaurentee everything will be just dandy!"

...Once again her smile faded as she tiredly blinked and he regrabbed his floating staff. "Actually. E-Everything's not dandy, Chesh. ...Those Twiddle sisters told me that there was already people after me." She didn't notice his posture instantly freeze at what she said, but it only became worse as she kept talking. "T-The Fortune Teller. He said the only way I can get b-back home was the magic mirror in the Queen's castle, that's why he sent me here. He said I'd need your help to sneak in so I can go home."

She jumped finding him inches from her face. There was something about that wide grin and the way he was now moving that seemed....off. Even for someone as odd as him. His pupils completely shrank to thin snake like slits and his body was slightly bouncing as he stared at her. His tail bouncing hard to some kind of beat only he could hear and his eyes blinking one after another with each bounce of his tail. He looked...almost scary. He giggled, devoid of any happiness. "And I don't suppose this person after you would happen to be the Queen of Hearts. Would it?"...She slowly nodded and he leaned back up. Still leaning forward on that staff though. "No need to fear. She wouldn't risk coming here even if her life depended on it.~ And I doubt anyone knows where you are right now."

Well, those were some really good points. She watched as the cat floated over and gestured to the giant room around them. There was what looked like bowling pins over near the door, probably for juggling, a unicycle, the piano he was sitting on a few minutes ago, and a few other things you'd expect to find in a circus tent. 

"There's plenty of tricks and performances I'd love to show you while we figure things out!" He paused seeing her yawn and stretch her body out. "...Or perhaps we should invest in getting you some rest. I can handle things while you do?"

She tiredly blinked at him. "A-Aren't you tired?"

"Very! But I'm tired like I've just had a long run. I don't need much sleep. My magic needs to replenish from it's natural source after I used so much of it so few hours apart of each usage of it." He giggled nervously. "To be honest, I barely even have enough energy right now to even keep me afloat."

"...Hey. How did you use the mirror after you fixed it? Wouldn't the portal have been destroyed?"

He shook his head. "No. If the one who made the portal fixes it, then they can still use it. After all only the one who made the portal can use or even destroy it."

Allison sat there for a moment mind whirling....before she scowled at him. "Wait a second. If only YOU could use that thing, then HOW COME I CRASH LANDED HERE?!"

He paused for a minute, and his smile became smaller. Well that was one question he was expecting of her and he sighed. "Anyone who isn't from my world doesn't need permission to use portals ONLY IF they don't personally belong to someone. ...I think I must've accidentally gave you my permission to use it MY personal one and I didn't realize it until it was too late."

She looked confused. "But....I never ASKED to use it, and you never said I could."

His paws nervously tapped along his staff. "Mmmmmmm. No, you're right. I didn't exactly say yes, and you never asked. But magic works in mysterious ways and I must've subconsciously given my permission without meaning to or realizing it. Remember when you made the upside down cake?" He watched as she paused, probably remembering back days ago.

She tried to make pineapple upside down cake. She made it and turned her back away from it for a second when she turned back and almost had a heart attack from Chesire using his magic to hold in place upside-down.

"What are you doing?!"

"Helping you with the recipe. I don't think you'll be able to make it stay upside down on your own will you?"

"T-That's not...Wait." She blinked. "Your Upside down cakes are ACTUALLY upside down?"

"Of course they are! It wouldn't make sense for it NOT to be. What's the point of having an upside-down cake if it's not made properly?"

"Huh. You'll have to show me your world sometime."

"Really?!" His tone radiated excitement as that idea was thrown at him and he giggled. "What a splendidly marvelous idea!! You could take my portal but...perhaps it would be better if not. There is dangers still left to be undangered."

"What do you mean?"

''Hopefully you'll never find out. Now let's cut this open! Im starving so to speak."

He...accidentally DID give her his permission. He really didn't mean she could use it, and it really didn't count in their eyes...but it must've counted where magic was concerned. And she blinked.

"You...really did accidentally give me permission, didn't you?"

He only nodded. "Yes. And therefore it's my fault you've had to deal with everything thus far and I can't apologize enough for my carelessness. But rest assured I will get you home safe and sound, Dear friend." She yawned real loudly and he chuckled. "And speaking of rest, I believe we both should both have a moment to relax and rest up!"

She giggled lightly before yawning again. Yeah. Taking a rest sounded great. Now that she was in a safe place, they could both get some re-

"GAH!!" 

A blur of blue suddenly shot down from the air past her as Chesire suddenly landed to the ground with a thud as she gasped and jumped. His hat and staff dropping to the ground from where he was previously floating as the cat laid limply knocked out on the ground. A few feet from him was one of the white juggling bowling pins that was near the exit. A shout of 'CHESIRE!' filled the air as she stared at her poor unconscious friend in horror before turning around as a large shadow fell over her- BAM!! Darkness clouded her vision and with her body being so tired walking all this time and without sleep, she easily went down unconscious to the floor as well, as four large men in shiny armor stared down at her....Before looking at their leader who leaned down to the unconscious Allison. Jabbing her side and getting a groan outta her. Good. She would be alright. The other three men looked sacredly over at the limp cat laying only a few feet from them before their captain leaned back up holding the unconscious human bridal style and turning like kidnapping A Chesire's best friend was something he did everyday.

"Come. We've gotten what Her Majesty wanted. We have no further business here."

The three were happy to comply as they carried Allison away towards the Heart Castle.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer and Warning: The song the flowers sing is Alice's Theme by Danny Elfman and is no way mine. And Allison's Aunt is mean in this flashback.)

Another day another earning. Another day another start at school. ANother day another jab at stressful finals....Another day another disaster. Growing up she never really had much. Average grades, a few people she could consider friends, but it was never really-....Content for her. She was always one who was attracted to the colorful side of life. Always making up creative ideas in her head, colors swirled and danced in the stories and creations she'd make. Her art and literature teachers always commended her on her own take on the world of arts and story writing, but the world she was forced into, others' reality, didn't appreciate such things. 

"Arts and crafts?," her aunt bluntly asked and cousins all sneered at her as their mother shook her head, "That's what you get for Grandmother raising you all alone like the old hermit she is. Listen, Allison. I agreed to raise you in the real world so maybe you could make something of yourself. No one's going to buy your art skills and writing if you could even call them that. You need to pick a realistic game plan! Why can't you be more like your older cousins? Rodger is studying to be a professional doctor and Lorlei's on her way to become one of the world's greatest woman athletes. You need yo get your head out of the clouds and face reality."

And as time went on and as she grew, she wished she listened to her Aunt's words. Sure she was good at art and stories to a decent level, but no one was really interested in her skills as her aunt had predicted. After highschool things just went downhill-...She got into the local community college that offered a slightly better art course than her highschool, but she didn't really get tha scholarship like she always wanted...Her aunt warned if she didn't get her act together and get better grades she wouldn't, and believe me she tried. She tried her absolute best to make it. But still no scholarship for her hard work and her aunt wasn't willing to pay for any 'unrealistic goals' she wanted.

"You had literal years to get there and I told you that! Instead you chased a dream grandmother told you about. I'm not paying for something that won't even be useful in the long run. That's what getting a job is for."

And she did. And wouldn't you know it, if she was old enough to start college and get a job then that means she also must've been old enough to get her own living space too. At least that's what her aunt thought. And so there she was, renting a crappy run down apartment where everything kept breaking, barely able to keep up with bills and trying to go to school and keep her grades up-....Eventually she had to give up. She couldn't keep up with the mental strain of keeping a living and keeping up with the crazy expensive school. Now here she was. Working a low wage job as a waitress and now being threatened to be evicted if she didn't pay all the due rent within a month's time and working all the extra shifts she can get to try and keep her home and using all the willpower she had left to basically survive at this point. Everyday and nights if she had to smiling at customers and forcing that cheery attitude to please the crowd, as she was slowly lost any hope for creativity in her life. Then that fateful day came. She was just working the day shift as usual, with her forced smile and cheery attitude but it only got worse when she got home. She received news that would shatter her world forever. Her grandmother's lawyer had called her. From the local law office in towm. She remembered vaguely that Granny had been moved to the local nursing home in town at the insistence of her remaining family but honestly hadn't seen her in a while. And the news when she picked up that phone and held it to her ear, was the worst news she would ever hear.

"Is this Allison Gale? ," a gruffy man's voice asked to her confusion.

"Uh...Y-Yes. Who's this?"

"This is the Law Office of Duffman and Hillary." She froze. LAW. OFFICE!? OH NO!! Was she being sued for something?! Was she getting evicted NOW?! "I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but last night your grandmother had passed away. I'm very sorry for your loss but there's going to be a reading of the last will and testimony of your grandmother by insistence of your other family. I would appreciate it if you would be willing to come to the reading of the will within a month's time."

HER. WORLD. ENDED.

She lost count how many tears she shead and how much time she laid emotionally numb in her bed not even summoning the will to go to work a few days since then....Which ultimately. Got her fired...The funeral wasn't anything special. Just your standard small funeral where everyone got to say goodbye and watch as the head of the family was laid to rest. But she didn't shed a tear. Too emotionally drained and numb to feel anything until much later after the funeral and being obligated to attend the reading of the will with the rest of what's left of her small family. Not like she expected much. Probably a goodbye message from her recently deceased grandmother at most, maybe a small inheiritance to pay for funeral expences or an insurance policy...Or more bills to pay. But no. The outcome had shocked her more than she could ever realize. She had-...Her granny had done-......

Her grandmother had left Allison her entire house and property!?!? WHAT?! 

Well, other than a few family heirlooms that went to her other family members and a small savings account to pay for any leftover expenses that her granny left behind, but that's beside the point. Her aunt and cousins seemed to be a little disappointed that they didn't get much else, but they wouldn't want a house literally in the middle of no where in a supposedly cursed forest probably no one would buy from them anyways. She'd have to wait a few days to let the family lawyer collect her other family's new possessions but...She was given the deed of ownership to the house she grew up in...Which meant she'd have somewhere to live when she got evicted. She could almost cry. And she did eventually. What would her granny think if she could see her now? Couldn't go to college, lost her job, and was now going to be evicted from her home within a month now without even a car. She was forced to sell most of her stuff anyways. Had to get money for food somehow, and packed anything she could which wasn't much to be honest. She never had much to start with anyways. But she had one hope. ONE. SINGLE. HOPE. When she woke up for the last time in that apartment. When the taxi showed up. When she dragged those heavy bags down to the car and loaded them in. When she got into the car and closed the door without so much as a good bye to anyone or anything from her old home. When the taxi started and took off down the road. When she started towards her old childhood home. She really just had one hope after all.

A good new start for her.

***************************************************************************************************************

Darkness was what met her at first. Then a strange motion. It felt almost as if she was laying on the bottem of a car moving slowly over a gravel road. The coldness of the wood hitting her skin and the bumps and motions of the car adding to the already strange feelings her tired body was experiencing. She...must've fallen asleep. Ok. What was Chesire up to now? Was he messing with her bed or something? The human groaned and weakly raised a hand out and placed it onto the ground near her head, pushing her upper self from off the cold moving floor and raised her head tiredly. Strawberry blonde hair was in her was of seeing, but her red eyes blinked tiredly at the iron bars caging her in and the burly looking men marching beside her within the cage. She didn't react as one would expect. She tiredly pushed the hair out of her face and blinked confused and sleepy at the knights leading a horse down a dirt path. Their armor gleaming in the sun giving them a regal look. One nudged their leader and pointed to the sleepy human in the cage as they marched along like she was a wild animal being transported to the zoo. The path she was on looked worn but unlike all the other paths, this one looked well maintained despite it's use. And she wasn't in the woods any longer. Around her was nothing but flat wide open fields that looked well cared for with the cut grass and trimmed trees. And roses. HUNDREDS OF ROSES AND ROSE BUSHES EVERYWHERE!! She saw hundreds of red rose bushes in the fields especially alongside the road, but not all of them were red. There was some white, black, and lots of pink too. But mostly red. People of different kinds were trimming or watering the small flowers and bushes. They all stopped to stare at her as she went by, not that her out of it state of mind could notice now. She could only see the flowers and smell their sweet scent and faces.....FACES?! 

Yep! A lot of the flower bushes' roses had faces on them and were giggling and smiling at the confused sleepy human as Allison was moved along on the pathway. Wait...were they saying something?

"Oh, Alli, Dear where have you been?~", they all ask sang as if in one giant chorus, "So near, so far, so in-between.~ What have you heard?~ What have you seen?~ Alli!~ Alli!~ Please, Alli!~"....Alli? Were they trying to say Allison but it came out Alli? Silly little flowers. When she woke up from this dream she'd have to tell Chesire about this. He'd find it so amusing. "Oh, tell us are you big or small?~ To try this one or try them all.~ It's such a long, long way to fall.~ Alli!~ Alli!~ Oh, Alli!~"

In her tired state, she smiled amused at these tiny funny flowers as the captain of these guards gave her a quick look before quickening the pace of the horse puling the cage on wheels holding the human inside it. They had cut their way through the magic tent with their swords and risked a lot getting her for the queen, so they weren't taking any chances with a human from the outside world now. The flowers however picked up their pace while continuing to sing as they hurried past.

"How can you know this way not that?~ You choose the door, you choose the path.~ Perhaps you should be coming back.~ Another day, another day.~ And nothing is quite what is seems.~ You're dreaming.~ Are you dreaming?~ OH, ALLI!~ OOOOOOOHH, ALLI!!~ OOOOOOHHHH!~" ...She blinked. 'Are you dreaming?'...Well that was a strange verse. Of course she was dreaming right now wasn't she? She had made it to Chesire's tent just like the Fortune Teller said. And he suggested they all take a rest and she just woke up in her dream....Didn't she? They continued. "Oh, how will you find your way?~ OH! How will you find your way?~ No time for tears today, no time for tears today.~ No time for tears today, no time for tears today.~"

A big bump on the road made her stumble in her jumbled state and she turned over her shoulder to yell at her dream people holding her hostage and stopped. Blinking her tired slightly blurry vison forward....OMG! THERE. WAS. A. GIANT. CASTLE!! The thing looked kinda tiny far away on top of the giant hill, but from where she was looking she could tell it was MUCH bigger than Chesire's tent, which was saying a lot since it was big enough to house five circuses in her opinion. In front of the castle looked like a giant green wall?? Tall rose bushes maybe? She was too far away to really see any good detail besides it was a good decent size and still seemed to be a good decent ways away from herself. Who's castle was that?

"So many doors, how did you choose?~ So much to gain, so much to lose.~ So many things got in your way.~ No time today, no time today.~ Be careful not to lose your head.~" She snapped back to them blinking feeling really whoozy and tired again. "Remember what Chesire said, Alli!~ Did someone pull you by the hand?~ How many miles to Wonderland?~ Please tell us so we'll understand.~ ALLI!!~ ALLI!!~ OH, ALLI!~" Her body lowered down as sleep refilled her tired mind. Perhaps if she closed her eyes again she'd wake up sooner back in Chesire's tent. "Oh, how will you find your way?~ Oh, how will you find your way?~"

Darkness consumed her once more as they continued on their cheery song.


	14. Chapter 14

The smell of roses lingered in the air as senses slowly came back to Allison. AH! See? She knew she was just dreaming this whole time she was dreaming. Chesire must've placed her on a bed when she suddenly fell asleep. It would certainly explain the soft thing he was laying on, must've been right? But what was with the giant, too heavy smell of roses everywhere? What the world was Chesire getting into? And why the heck was her head hurting so much?! It felt like she got run over twice by a train and then rolled down a giant hill, well wouldn't have been the first time she had gotten a headache from working a lot and going to bed sore. Maybe Chesire had an ice pack or something? Allison groaned and moved in the soft bed, moving her hands up to adjust on her elbows before pushing herself up to a sitting up position. Groaning and reaching up to rub her face. Oh gosh she still felt sore and tired. But thankfully her feet had stopped hurting and she felt less better now that she had been out for-......Hours? Allison had no idea. On instinct, she threw the red covers with rose and checker patterns off her and threw her feet off the bed-....It was only when she was done rubbing her face and blinked her eyes around did she freeze. ....This bedroom was NOT Chesire's tent. Allison looked around the room and gulped. A sinking feeling in her guts. This room was MASSIVE. It was as if someone slapped two and a half regular sized bedroom together, added a bathroom and closet, and then rented it out like that. The wall paper looked like it was painted by hand by a really famous artist and roses dotted all over the green walls. The ceiling a light blue with birds and beautiful clouds painted to It and a decent sized crystal chandelier. The floor was all covered with a checkerbourd carpet that looked soft if she stepped on it, and the canopy bed wasn't the only expensive piece of furniture in the large room. A giant polished wood table with carvings was sitting in the far right of the room and had a whole BUSH of roses on it, the bush inself was neatly trimmed into the shape of a heart. She wondered briefly if that was where the rose smell came from. An expensive looking LONG vanity was against the wall just in front of the bed and it was littered with what she guessed was make up. A kit with brushes of various sizes, lots of containers that glittered, or looked like lipstick or blush or rouge(she couldn't tell. Never was good with make up), and what she did recognize. A powder brush and old styled perfume bottles. The kind you'd squeeze a pump think to spray the perfume on you. What the world?! 

It was then she remembered what had happened in her 'dream'. Singing roses. A cage being pulled by a horse down a path towards a giant castle on top of a tall hill. Her red eyes widened more remembering farther back. Chesire had-....Something threw a bowling, juggling pin at him and he fell to the ground. Something....Something had hit the back of her head and she- Panic and fear set in as her eyes wondered around the room more. Realizing that she had basically been kidnapped by someone. A castle. Men in gleaming armor. Who would have a reason for kidnapping her?....And what usually ruled a castle?....A Queen. Allison abruptly stood from the bed and jumped when something clattered to her feet. Falling back into her sitting position on the bed. ...She blinked seeing it was just that tacky red umbrella she seemed to be stuck with. She slowly bent down to pick it up, and mid way leaning back up she paused again. Staring right into the mirror and red eyes blinking back to her. Subconciously, she stood from the bed she had been laying on and approached her reflection. It stared right back at her and blinked it's red eyes. Those...Those weren't her eyes. Her eyes were a reddish brown and was just a bit red near the bottem, but she thought that was normal....These eyes were just a wee bit back near the top of her pupils and faded into a deep red everywhere else....What was-

CREAK!!

She ended up yelping and jumping around gripping the umbrella...And was met face to face with the most BEAUTIFUL woman she had ever seen. If it weren't for the fact that the whites of her eyes were a deep red, and her pupils was literally white floating hearts amongst the red, she would've easily passed as human. The woman was taller than her definitely, around six foot. Her body was fit and slim and the glittery, featherly outfit accented her perfectly. Her long bright red hair was pulled up in some kind of fancy do, and her make up was neatly done of course. And her face was also slightly glittery. It looked as if she had just stepped out from a ballet performance or something. She regarded Allison with a calm, almost slightly bored/irritated face, before closing the door calmly behind her and walked over towards the vanity. She immediately stumbled back and watched as the taller lady pulled out the chair and sat in front of the mirror looking at herself. Not even looking at Allison in the reflection.

"I was wondering if you would sleep forever," She spoke without looking away from her own reflection. The woman reached over and pulled a tissue from the box of tissues next to her and reached up to run it across her cheeks. Immediately the glittery make up started to come off revealing the pale, flawless skin of the woman underneath it. Even her voice was lovely, it was smooth and held no harsh emotion despite her face. "I apologize if my men caused you any trouble. I asked them to bring you to me unharmed, but I guess knocking you unconscious didn't count."

She scowled and before she could think pointed at her and blurted out, "Your 'men' hurt my friend!"

The lady hummed, wiping her eye lids free of the dark eye shadow applied to it. "And who might that be? If they're hurt perhaps I could help."

"Chesire, that's who!" The woman then paused what she was doing, and those eyes flicked over to her scowling reflection. She was still pointing at her as a sudden realization came over her and she got madder. "You're that Queen everyone's told me about! Chesire told me you'd be up to no good!"

....Silently the taller woman turned around and gave Allison her own calm, half make uped slight scowl. She regarded her silently for a moment, before sighing through her nose. "Perhaps I came off on the wrong foot. I assure you I mean you no harm, but now perhaps I may have a new problem to face."

"What are you talking about!?" She was confused, sore, but most of all angry. Angry she had to run around all willy nilly for just one break home. Angry someone wanted to capture her just because she was human. ...Angry because all this time Chesire had been tiring himself out trying to get here to help HER and then this woman had the nerve to have men go out and hurt him just to get to her! She growled and pointed again and without thinking let all her frustrations out. Screw it! If she was going down then fine! She had a rough life anyway and she had hurt the one good person left in it. "You listen here you- ..you-....Cold hearted, heart breaking witch!" The queen blinked, obviously not expecting that comment out of the timid looking human. She had been so easily captured, she didn't think she had a tongue like this. "I crash landed her BY ACCIDENT, which hurt because those giant mushrooms aren't as soft as they look! I'm talking to mice in dresses, clowns, pink rabbits, wizards, a girl with two heads and I have been following their instrustions EVERYWHERE JUST TO GET HOME!! First I had to find a literal fork in the road, then Enchanted Vil where I almost got hit by flying beer, then a magic mothman inside the fog, and then Im told to follow a bug all night through the woods to find a tent! Then I FINALLY find someone I can trust, and Im sore and tired and hungry!! Then the next thing I know some one attacks my friend, hits me over the head, and then I hallucinate I'm in a cage with singing flowers, only it wasn't a dream and now Im here and I don't know if my friend's hurt. And I never did A. SINGLE! FUCKING!! THING!! TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE!!" She heaved as she ended her angry rant still scowling at the silent surprised looking woman and she still pointed. "And now you have the nerve to apologize to me after I was scared you'd capture me and Chesire might be hurt!? Screw you! I had it with my life up to now so if you're going to off my head or ban me then do it now and get it over with!!"

There was silence as Allison finally stopped her ranting and both women just stared at each other for a long moment. Before the taller lady's shocked face slowly, contorted back to her bored scowl and half lidded eyes. 

"I still see his opinion of me hasn't changed." Allison rose a brow in question and the Queen sighed, turning back to the mirror and proceeding to wipe her face. "I'm afraid my family and his have....butted heads a few times."

"Your family wiped out his entire kind sixteen years ago." The queen once again paused. "Why WOULDN'T anyone judge you for that?"

...."You already heard about that. Not too surprising." She finished wiping her face which left her fair skinned face blank before looking over her shoulder at him. "It's true, my parents did do that. I can't try to hide that fact, but don't you think it's unfair to judge me for something they had done when I was a mere child? Wasn't there things YOU couldn't control that affected you as a child?" Allison immediately stopped. Staring at the queen like she had just read her mind and made it into a book, then read it outload to her. The queen hummed at Allison's look. "You're right, I shouldn't NOT expect anyone to judge me for it, but that doesn't mean I have to follow in their footsteps now do I? But now I wonder. Did this friend tell YOU what he had done?"

She had been quiet for a while. Honestly still so confused. But-...No. She guess she couldn't judge her based on what her parents had done. No one could judge her granny for how she grew up, Allison was taken from her care. As bad as her aunt was with showing her favoritism towards her cousins and not helping her out ever, she didn't compare to horrendous tranical rulers and...And didn't the Twiddle Sisters say something about her being better than the previous rulers?...But still, she banned and fought people for no reason! She sent her men and they possibly hurt her friend and kidnapped her! She may still be thrown into a dungeon or something! She wasn't bad, but she wasn't the greatest either.

"No. It isn't fair to judge you by their mistakes, but that doesn't mean I can't judge you by yours! You hurt my friend, you scare people with your stupid fights, and you kidnapped me! You're literally doing all these things for no reason and it's wrong!"

Her slight scowl became more irritated. "Do YOU know how to rule a kingdom? Have you ever ran one?"

"No. But I know enough that banning someone just because I was jealous of their singing skills." The Queen's eyes blinked wide in shock from the closet and Allison crossed her arms. "And I know enough to talk things out instead of challenging a defenseless woman...Women?? To a fight they couldn't win and punish them for it. If you want to be a better person then maybe you should try not jumping to conclusions-"

The Queen's hand slapped down on the vanity moving everything and looking to her fully with an obvious angry face. "You know nothing about why I did it! I had to do it! For his safety!"

"Who's safety?!" The queen immediately stopped. Looking almost horrified as she did so but Allison scowled again. "If you claim to ban two innocent women for someone's safety, then you better be ready to convince me. You hurt my friend, so I'm not a big believer on your safety measures." Instead of answering, she immediately faced away from Allison and looked back down to her lap silently. Making the strawberry blonde human raise a brow...before groaning and throwing her arms out. "Look. I don't care if you have your reasons, but at least tell me why? Why am I here? If you're gonna ban them, then how can I trust what you say if you can't tell me anything?.....You don't have to say his name or anything. Just give me a reason to give you even a bit of my time."

The Queen really didn't change from her position and remained sile- "You really want to know why?" She finally looked up from her sitting position and looked at Allison through the mirror's reflection. "It's because they knew the truth of where my beloved was. I couldn't risk him getting discovered like that, and strangers leading him away from me. He likes his privacy."

Allison confused to stare at the closet door confused for a moment. Who could the Twiddle Sisters possibly know that- Allison's eyes widened in realization, and stared at her in disbelief. "You mean the fortune telling guy?" The queen looked away again with red rising to his cheeks. "Wait. You and HIM are a thing?"

"Not yet. He still believes I have something to learn before be agrees to be by my side. He's usually right about these things," She stood up and went over to the closet. Opening the door before disappearing from sight. "Apparently I need to rethink about how I do things, and I have."

"But what does this have to do with me? I never did anything to anyone." 

".....A lot of my citizens still view outsiders as people who are a danger and expect some kind of measure to be taken. And I can't just leave them feeling afraid and like I didn't do anything to protect them."

"Well, what ARE you going to do?"

. "Simple. In one hour I intend to 'confront' this danger head on. We shall have a battle like all the others and if you win, you win the right to go home. That's what you want isn't it?" Allison fell quiet and she hummed. "And if you lose, you'll be 'reformed' and be banned to live out your days here. A 'reformed' human just might be what my kingdom needs to stop feeling scared. I take measures to help my citizens slowly. You see? Where you see unfairness, I see ways to repair my family's damage without rolling them into a boulder doing so. I banned a woman who could reveal the location of my betrothed who doesn't want to be found. I give fairer chances to my people and offer labor or exile as punishment than imprisonment or death.....I am the ruler my parents weren't. Even if no one sees it or understands now. Everything will fall into place, after all. There is ONE rules we fallow here. Never judge a storybook by it's cover. Now I do wonder so badly, did anyone tell you about what your beloved Chesire did?"

Allison gave her a look like someone had asked her to solve the mystery of life. "What do you mean? He's been nothing but kind to me. He saved my life and.....and he's honestly all the good I have left in my life. ..What did he do to you that could've been worse than what your parents and your men did to him? Everyone seemed to like him."

The queen soon exited the closet, red hair flowing down her shoulders and outfit now similar to a ringleader of a circus. "....As revenge for what my parents did to his, he returned stronger than before and turned them to ashes for their crimes." She watched Allison's face turn to one of shock and chuckled, smiling. "Oh, don't act so surprised. I was expecting it from the start something like that would happen. I should really thank him really. Without his help I wouldn't be Queen right now and trying to fix everything, and my parents would've most likely killed you on sight with no questions asked. Of course that meant mixed feelings. Some view him as a savior for his actions, some view him as a danger. But barely anyone approaches him for it." 

Allison still looked off at nothing in disbelief. Chesire.....turned someone into dust?! Why didn't he tell her? "H-How-"

"Magic." Something slapped her other hand and Allison blinked at a black baton with some giant ruby at the end shaped into a heart. " We both poses great power passed down from our ancestors. Each of the generations more stronger than the last, which is why I rule without question. And why he was able to perform such feats. He's a dangerous person to cross and shouldn't be trifaled with."

"....." She shook her head. "W-W-Why didn't he tell me?!"

"We all have our reasons. You got angry you can't get home. I do what I do to fix my past. Perhaps he did it to keep a friend?...You two ARE friends aren't you?"

Of course they were. He waited patiently for her. Fed her. Helped her work around the house. And he spent all that energy just to come try to help her. He wouldn't NOT do that if they weren't friends. And because of her he got hurt. Guilt bubbled up in the back of her mind again, but something else also rumbled out. She looked down almost embarrassed as her stomach rumbled and the Queen rose a brow...Before making her way over to the door and opening it. 

"I'll have one of my maids bring you some food. In one hour our performance shall take place. I'm expecting someone important coming, so make yourself look presentable, my things are at your disposal....Human?" Allison jumped and looked up at her. "I-...never got your name."

"Uh-..A-Allison. It's Allison. Uh. W-What's your name?"

The Queen of Hearts regarded her for another moment before closing the door behind her. "Velveteen."

The door closed and as soon as it did Allison's mind finally began to panic with questions. She was gonna have to fight the QUEEN!? Who had MAGIC?! What was she gonna do?! If she didn't win she'd be forced to spend the rest of her life here...She guessed it wouldn't be so bad if everyone didn't already not like humans that much, but she wan't ready for that kind of thing and what would the point of her whole journey be then if she just gave up now! She immediately went over to the one window in the room...but any hope of escaping out of there was squealched when she saw how HIGH she was in the castle. Now that she got a good look, she saw the backyward of the castle so to speak. It had lots of beautiful flowers and a giant fountain spouting water out. And behind that was a giant maze made of bushes. Guess she found out what the green walls were. Allison shook her head and headed to the door, opening it and going to quickly step out- But jumped out when two spears suddenly crossed over each in front of her and she blinked when two tall men in gleaming armor leaned over to peer down at her. 

"Sorry, Ma'am. Her Highness says you're to remain here until she sends for you."

She backed away as one of them reached back in and closed the door right in front of her and she was left staring at the door for a few silent moments, before aimlessly looking around the room. What was she going to do now?

***************************************************************************************************************

The blue cat groaned but wasted no time pushing himself up off the floor and sitting down on his behind. He remained in that pose for a moment before reaching his tiny paws up to rub at his face and hiss at the obvious bruise under his fur. Without even getting up from his current position his head tilted slightly to his left where a juggler's pin was laying down- Immediately he jumped into the air and snapped his fingers. The hat and staff that had been on the floor flew up to retake their positions on his head and in his hands as his head and eyes snapped around the room around him. 

"ALLISON?!"

There was no human girl anywhere but something else sure was. His worried eyes locked onto it almost immediately and slowly floated over to it. The door by the pins-.....Behind it was a giant hole in the tent's hallway's fabric. In fact there was another one after that and another, until there was a very obvious few holes where someone obvious cut straight through his maze to get to them. Usually the tent couldn't be destroyed but he guessed the magic he used to make it so wasn't enough at the time. His worried frown slowly turned to just a thin small line on his usual smiling face as he started to fly through the holes. A tearing noise sounded behind him as the holes began to magically repair themselves one by one as he passed through them. Until he got to the last one. The tent all repaired behind him as he looked around, not seeing anyone in this giant field of him...Before those half lidded eyes looked down and the floating cat paused at the sight of footsteps. Heavy bootprints sank into the ground and their was a decent amount. Maybe four of five men based off the size of them, and horse shoe prints too. As well as two straight lines which he assumed were the tires of whoever was pulling the cart along. He stared at them for a moment before slowly following the path they made with his eyes,....and a grin devoid of any happy emotion spread over his face showing his fangs, his eyes slanted and narrowed, his ears pinned back against his head as he chuckled without happiness.

"Well, well, well.~ It seems someone wants to play a game of cat and mouse.~ They got the cat and they're the mouse.~ Hmhmhm." A crackling sound appeared and his tail shook violently before snapping off his body only attactched by a few beadlike strand attatched to his lower back. More crackling sounded as his tail shook more and broke off into three segmented pieces, rings of blue energy vibrated off them like energized halos as he smiled. "Well then kidnappers of Allison Gale.~ Ready or not. Here I come.~"


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The songs the Queen sings is White Rabbit by Egypt Central and Hey Alice by Rachell Rose Mitchell and in no way mine. The songs Allison sings are Alice by Avril Lavigne and Human by Christina Perri and are in no way mine.)

It was a short hour. During that time she just sat on the bed and rubbed her head, trying to figure out what to do about this. Sometime during that hour she had been a sandwitch and she eargerly gobbled it down but not before checking it for anything...It was a regular one with just one piece of meat and a lettece leaf. Was pretty plain but she wasn't complaining about free food especially when she was really hungry so she gobbled that down. She was still a little hungry after that but it'll work for now. Allison was feeling a lot of things. Guilt, for this being her fault even if she didn't do anything wrong. Worry for her friend if he was ok and what might happen to her. Angry for all this work just wanting to go home! Annoyance she had to go this! And Sadness she Didn't know about Chesire's past. Did he really turn someone into dust? If they wiped out his family then she'd kinda understand, but why didn't he tell her? She sighed and continued to sit there until a guard opened the door and looked at her. Allison was told to stand up and follow them which she did, not like she had a choice anyways. She was marched like a prisoner down the checkered halls and she felt her hope and worry grow and grow as she was wedged between the two guards and marched down the halls. Servants and other guards stopped what they were doing to peer at her from where they were. People of all different characters. She saw a goose in a butler shirt give her the stink eye, and a walking man with the head of a clock seem to give her a sorry look. But that didn't matter. She was marched along past all the expensive furniture and further and further to-.....to.....Who knows where?! To A prison? To her doom? To the Queen? And she didn't ask the guards marching her along in her of the answer. It seemed she got her answers soon enough. Allison was lead around towards what she assumed was the other side of the castle to two giant double doors where a lot of loud muffled, far away cheers were coming from it and before she could ask, she was forced towards them. Two other guards by the door opened them and they forced her through without stopping or letting her get her bearings from it.

It was too bright. Way too bright for her eyes. She blinked and held up her hands away from the bright sun shining down on her as she was taken out of the hallways and into the light. The cheers of an on watching crowd rang her ears raw. Where was she taken? When she had blinked her shock of the light away she gaped in aw at what really was surrounding her. Oh. My. GOD!!!...It was a giant arena. She didn't know how else to call it. It was about as big as a football field and there must've been hundreds of people faintly around her cheering for entertainment as Allison was marched along by two guards as her now red eyes looked around nervously at the watching crowd and felt really, REALLY small. Especially since the guards were all easily taller than her. She was marched towards the middle of the field where about ten feet away from her was the Queen. Her hands tightened tighter around the umbrella she carried and she gulped, the food in her stomach threatening to upchuck from the stress and fear she was now feeling. The tall woman was staring at her like a hawk watches a mouse as horns did some fancy salute music which got the crowd going more.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!," a man announced from somewhere and Allison looked around her. The guards were already retreating back to the doors which left her to look onwards around her at the cheering crowd. "BY ROYAL DECREE THE TRAITOROUS HUMAN SHALL FACE THE TRIAL OF HEARTS DESIRE AGAINST HER MAJESTY!! AS PER AGREEMENT, THE HUMAN SHALL BE EXILED FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD AS PUNISHMENT FOR THE CRIMES COMITTED BY THOSE IN THE PAST!! TRIAL!!......BEGIN!!"

As if one cue Allison looked at the Queen. Those red and white eyes stared at her with barely any emotion in them. The staff in her hands twirled around for a moment before she got into an almost fighting stance as she stared at Allison. The Human girl was shaking and clutched the umbrella tighter to her chest as she stared at the Queen with a Deer in headlight look.....It was silent. TOO SILENT. Not a single cheer from the crowd or word from the woman literally a few yards away from her. Only the thumping of her heart in her ears and the heavy nearvous breaths Allison was taking. The wind blew around them making the ladies' hair swish about, as the ground slightly shook-...Wait. Why was the ground shaking? Allison slowly looked down to her legs expecting her legs to just be shaking but no. The whole ground was. Loud gasps and a few frightened yells came from the watching audience as a shadow suddenly loomed over them. Allison looked up and her jaw dropped at the absolute MASSIVE piller suddenly appearing next to the queen. Followed by more rumbling and seven more thick dirt pillars appeared on either side of her. These things were GIGANTIC!! At least two stories tall and three feet thing thick...Oh boy. What were those for?

"Your magic white rabbit-" The queen sang and Allison snapped out of her stupor and gazed at her instantly. Queen Hearts was staring at her and singing just enough for her to hear but just barely. "-has left it's writing on the wall.~ We follow like Alice ....And just keep diving down the HOLE!!" 

Her arm holding the staff suddenly pointed up towards Allison and no sooner than it did than the first pillar scraped quickly right towards her. Allison stood there completely frozen as eight giant solid pillar of dirt headed right for her that probably would hurt if the did hit her...Before yelping and on instinct turning around and runninh away from it. She ran a few steps as the shadow loomed bigger above her, her adrenaline was pumping now and her panicked brain made her dive to the right. Wind and dirt whipped past her making her hair move as the thing swooped past her- Only for poor Allison to yelp again and basically run on tip toes as she jumped out of the way of another moving pillar right behind the first and start running towards the fair side of the battlefield as two more past behind her barely dodging her legs- all the while through this the Queen Kept singing and kept her staff laser pointed right on Allison. And ...Rock music was playing from somewhere in stands? What was with these people and singing all the time!?

"YOU CAN'T FIX YOUR BROKEN PROMISE!!~ OUR TIES HAVE COME UNDONE!!~ I WILL NOT BE USED TO BE BATTERED AND BRUISED!!~ THE REASON WHY I CHOOSE TO CUT MY LOSES!!~ YOUR LIES FOOL NO ONE!!~," she sang with the beauty of a swan and the feircness of a lion as she watched Allison dodge the first four but just barely. For a human she was fast on her feet. Allison's heart was pumping in her throat and against her chest as she ran- She squealed as another pillar cut her off from running right, just barely stopping before hitting it. Flawing her arms about and turning to run back where she came- Only for another one to stop her again. "YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT!!~ YOUR ROOM, STRAIGHT JACKET!!~ YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT HAS LEFT IT'S WRITING ON THE WALL!!~" Allison again stopped and stared behind her as another pillar made it's way towards her. She screamed and picked up her dress, running back towards the queen to escape it with a fearful expression. "WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!! WE'RE FALLING AND WE'RE LOOSING CONTROL!!~ YOU'RE PULLING US AND DRAGGING US DOWN THIS DEAD END ROAD!!~ WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!~" 

A winning smile came over her as Allison still ran away from the pillar as it rumbled after her. Eventually forcing herself to the side again and standing still as it blew past her- Only for yet ANOTHER to start going after her and she screamed again, before looking at it...and the queen....Scowling, she made her way back to running past her. The Queen's smile vanished as she did, placing a hand on her hip as she lazily watched Allison direct her path closer and closer to her until she was almost directly in front of the queen to where she could've hit her entire front.

"You know you could always give up and yeild now. It would be easier for the both of us."

Allison huffed and gritted her teeth as she ran past, knocking into her arm she was that close running past her. "I DIDNT GET THIS FAR BY QUITTING!!", she yelled as she ran past her.

The Queen rose a brow but a rumbling sound got her attention as she snapped forward and gasped at her own pillar coming towards her. SHe was barely able to step aside as it rumbled past still after Allison and the audience gasped. In the meantime, Allison had to freeze and let three more pillars pass her(two in front and one behind) before she could continue running across the field to gain distance from the thing to make a turn for herself. Two of the eight pillars crashed into each other when the Queen wasn't looking to control them. Making only six left. The queen yelled 'UGH!!' before directing her angry scowl at the girl. Allison gave her own scowl back as she ran her own way face to face with the pillar. And the Queen smirked, before pointing her staff again at her.

"YOU CAN'T OFFER YOUR POISON TO ME!!~ IN YOUR KINGDOM OF FILTH!!~ WHITE RABBIT!!~ STRAIGHT JACKET-" She stopped singing momentarily to raise a brow at Allison's head on collision, at the very last second Allison leaned on her ankle to lean her body left and 'fall' to dodge the entire pillar, her hand came down to push her body back up as she continued running at the Queen stumbling a bit, but back on track. "...YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT HAS LEFT IT'S WRITING ON THE WALL!!~ WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!~" The pillar from before changed directions and was still following fast after Allison, and by estention HER since Allison was running towards her as well. Her eyes widened at this and she pointed right towards her direction of path. "WE'RE FALLING IN AND WE'RE LOOSING CONTROL!!~" Her red hair whipped wildly around her as she sent another pillar right for Allison and smiled. There was no way Allison could get that Pillar to hit her if she countered it. "WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!~" All the while still singing that beautiful victory song of hers.

Allison seemed to notice that too as she stared wide eyed at being wedged between two pillars headed right for her and she kept running blankly....until she dove right and the two pillars collided with each other with a crash. Crumbling to nothing but piles of dirt on the ground. The queen stood there in shock for a moment, before gritting her teeth and harshly swinging her staff up and down pointing at her again. This time two of the remaining four pillars came after her and soon Allison found herself trapped between two faster pillars circling around her like they were sharks. Spinning and spinning faster and faster and Allison looked scared. Like they would crush her any moment...The Human stopped and looked forward as a THIRD pillar was headed right for her. She was trapped between two and a third one was headed right for her and she couldn't stop it!...Allison blinked and looked back down to the umbrella she was holding...She had an idea. Oh god please let this work. She opened the umbrella and put it above her head like to keep the rain off. The third one rumbled closer and she slammed her eyes shut! A crash was heard as the third pillar smashed into one of the two pillars circling her and the other one circling her slammed into the two in it's path. Effectively destroying three pillars and sending a wave of air and dust everywhere. The queen's fiery red hair whipped around her wildly as she closed her eyes and grabbed her hat until it past...She opened one eye and then the other staring at what just happened. There was a decent pile of dirt, but no Allison. Was she buried under the dirt?

"...*GASP* LOOK UP THERE!!,'' a woman from the stands yelled and pointed up.

The queen did and stared in shock. Up there floating down slowly to the ground. Was Allison. The umbrella she had bee carrying around opened and she clung to it for dear life looking around her nervously. ....Quick thinking. The Queen gritted her teeth again and pointed at her. The last pillar rumbled forward and Allison could only watch in horror as it rumbled towards her and with a smack she collided with the top of it, she scrambled her purchase at the top of it and hung on for dear life despite having the wind knocked out of her.

"I won't be pushed aside.~ I will be heard.~ I will get what I want.~ What I deserve.~" She swung her staff left and the thing lurched left making Allison yelp and her grip slightly loosen, the queen did it again but in the other direction making her grip with her one hand further loosen as she was barely hanging onto the thing now. "I WON'T BE PUSHED AISIDE!!~ I WILL BE HEARD!!~ I WILL GET WHAT I WANT!!~ WHAT I DESERVE!!~"

She swung her staff again and this time Allison's gripped let go. She screamed as she fell all the way down and landed hard onto the ground with a thud, kicking up dirt around her. She coughed and wheezed from having the air knocked out of her twice. Groaning and rolling onto her side. Forcing her jello body to stand up and shake her head as her vision cleared and she was staring at the frowning face of the queen again as she pointed her staff at her. A familiar rumble sound was heard and Allison turned and yelped when that last pillar came after her. She frowned and began to once again run away from it.

"WE'RE FALLING AND WE'RE LOOSING CONTOL!!~ YOU'RE PULLING US AND DRAGGING US DOWN THIS DEAD END ROAD!!~ YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT HAS LEFT IT'S WRITING ON THE WALL!!~ WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!" Allison stupidly ran towards a wall and looked at it before turning around in wide eyed fear as the Queen cornered her and smiled. Pushing the pillar towards her. It was all over now. "WE'RE FALLING AND WE'RE LOOSING CONTROL!!~ YOU'RE PULLING US AND DRAGGING US DOWN THIS DEAD END ROAD!!~ ....YOUR MAGIC WHITE RABBIT HAS LEFT IT'S WRITING ON THE WALL!!~ WE FOLLOW LIKE ALICE AND JUST KEEP DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!! DIVING DOWN THE HOLE!!"

Everyone gaped in upcoming doom as the pillar would eventually crush her- Allison at the last second dove hard left and hit the ground with a thud as the thing crashed into the tall wall of the arena. The stands shook and some of the spectators gasped and screamed in fright, but everyone was ok. The pillar turned into a giant pile of dirt like the ones before it and Allison sat on her knees and elbows, breathing heavily and looking at the pile of dirt before looking at the shocked Queen...Still breathing heavily she scowled and shakily pushed herself up to her feet. Pointing her umbrella at her and challenging her future. Murmers and mumbles came from the audience and the queen hesitatntly looked around for a moment before her calm stare came back.

"Not bad," She spoke loud enough for Allison to hear her from their distance apart, "You know only a handful of people actually make it past one round with me. You're quicker than I thought."

"S-Spending...*gasp* y-years as a kid growing up running around in the w-w-woods and track helped."

"You know you can still yield now. No one would blame you if you did, and I do mean it when I say I'd hate to put you through more."

Allison's scowled further. "I-I said I d-d-didn't come this far by q-quitting! Im never going t-to give up!"

The Queen smiled. "If you insist.....TRIAL BY CLOSE COMBAT!!"

The horns sounded again and Allison looked up at the stands where the Queen shouted to. "TRIAL BY CLOSE COMBAT!!", the same man from before shouted and the crowd roared with excitement again.

Allison didn't have time to question it before something rose from the ground behind her, she gasped and spun around ready to run away from another pillar but no pillar came. Instead it was a giant piece of a stone wall and she looked confused before it began to move forward towards her and the queen. She backed away as others came forward too. She watched as they all came slowly together and boxed them in, each one giving a loud thud noise as they came together and soon they were essentially standing in a space that was as big as the bedroom she woke up in. A much smaller space than the entire field but still room enough for a close combat fight.

"Don't worry." She jumped and backed away from the queen who twirled her staff in her hands, ruby heart shining. "There's no magic in this test, just similar to a sword fight." 

She pointed the staff at Allison again and the human gulped. Shakingly holding up her umbrella at her. It's ok. It's ok. Just....Remember all the times you played pirates as a kid and swordfighted with sticks with Chesire....Chesire? Some where deep down, a spark ignited in her and she gritted her teeth and her eyes narrowed. That woman hurt her only friend. She WOULDN'T GET AWAY with it!! Even if Allison was forever stuck here that Queen was gonna be taught a lesson. A silence once again was shared between the two ladies as they stared each other down, before something broke that silence. Allison couldn't see the stands from the walls, but she could hear them playing a softer music. Not rock at least. As the music played the queen still just stood there for the better half of a minute doing nothing but staring at Allison and pointing at her.

"...Hey Alli, where's your Wonderland now that you're back on earth?~" She sang at her while she began to step ever slowly to her. "How does it look now that you've left it behind across the stepping stones?~" The queen smirked and Allison had a feeling she was deliberately using the song's lyrics to taunt her. ..She had left everything behind being here didn't she? "Hey Alli, is it greener here?~ Does it feel the same?~ Can you say that you are happy to be home?~"...No.This...This wasn't her home! Allison shook her head and pointed her umbrella at the smiling queen. "The rabbit seems to call your name.~ You're late so it's time to move.~ OH Alli.~ You know your fate.~ Tick tock, no time to loose.~" 

The queen stopped about half way between them still pointing her staff at Allison as the poor girl shook and darted her red eyes up and down this smiling queen as she just stood there- Before without warning she charged. Allison wasn't prepared for that and so didn't move away in time before the queen was on her. She yelled as a stinging sensation exploded from her forearm as she was whacked by the queen's staff and another when the Queen effortlessly pushed her forward and she stumbled a few feet clutching her stinging arm. Before yelping and starting to run as the Queen swung at her back still singing.

"Did the mushrooms make you grow?~ Did the flowers say hello?~ Would Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee care to sing a song for me?~ Did you like your un-birthday?~" ....She smirked as she sang the next sentence. "Did the Chesire cat smile your way?~" Allison scowled back at her as the continued to run. "Can you tell a raven from a writing disk?~ Was the Hatter's tea the best?~" The Queen stopped chasing and watched amused as Allison stared back at her and ran. "Did you do as the queen asked?~ Did you see through the looking glass?~"

There was a thud sound as Allison painfully ran into the stone walls and the audience immediately roared with laughter at the fact Allison wasn't looking where she was going. Allison hissed from the pain and stumbled back, reaching a hand to clutch at her right cheek but stopped when it stung. She had scraped her cheek from the hit, her head throbbing and her forearm too. She scowled back to the queen showing her teeth but the Queen still just stood there amused. Allison growled under her breath and charged, swinging the umbrella above her head and around wildly towards the amuzed queen but the taller woman just easily deflected the oncoming attacks.

"Hey Alli, do you want to play?~ The Queen's great-"

"Or so it's been said!," Allison retorted back as a swing to the queen's hip was deflected.

The queen scowled. "Hey Alli, can you play croquet?~"

"If I'm good then I can keep my head!~," Allison retorted back and for a moment the queen froze at what Allison just implied.

...Her mother and father. Countless victims. Their heads- A pain shot out in the Queen's middle as she stumbled back one arm going to her stomach as her own wind was knocked outta her. Allison had used that moment to take advantage and aimed a good hit to her middle. The audience gasped again and Allison charged aiming for her shoulder- Which was deflected again when her staff swung up knocking Allison a few feet away skidding across the dirt, getting herself more dirty and the Queen slowly stood back up and looked at her.

"Did the mushrooms make you grow?~" She lightly stomped with every step and Allison scrambled back on the ground. As she got closer. Forgetting her umbrella in her scramble. "Did flowers say hello?~ Would Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee care to sing a song for me?~ Did you like your un-birthday?~....Did the Chesire cat smile your way?~" Again Allison paused..before her red eyes glanced to the umbrella. "Can you tell a raven from a writing disk?~ Was the Hatter's tea the best?~" She stopped her shadow looming over her, and she raised her staff up. "Did you do as the queen asked?~ Did you see through the looking glass?~" 

She slammed her arms down and the staff and Allison dove under her, between her legs, and frantically crawled towards her umbrella. The Queen looked behind her as Allison frantically grabbed the umbrella and pointed it at the queen shaking to her feet.

"...Hey Alli, are you here or there or somewhere in-between?~" The queen slowly turned around to face her. "Hey Alli, would you ever dare to go back through where you came?~"

"Yes! I would!"

Another silence as the stared at each other, before the queen walked towards the scowling girl again. "HEY ALLI!!~ TIME IS RUNNING SHORT!!~," She sang louder, "THIS CAN'T TAKE TOO LONG!!~ MAKE A CHOICE NOW!!~ ON WHICH SIDE OF THE DOOR DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU BELONG?!~" Was that the Queen giving her another chance to give up? Allison scowled and braced for impact. "THE RABBIT SEEMS TO CALL YOUR NAME!!~ YOU'RE LATE SO IT'S TIME TO MOVE!!~ OH, ALLI!!~ YOU KNOW IT'S YOUR FATE!!~ TICK TOCK, NO TIME TO LOSE!!~" She ran forward again and Allison came up to block it only for her leg to come up and kick her. Allison wheezed and fell to the ground from the very powerful kick...but there was no time to lose as she rolled and scrambled away on the ground as the queen stomped on the ground barely missing her each time. "DID THE MUSHROOMS MAKE YOU GROW?~ DID THE FLOWERS SAY HELLO?~ WOULD TWEEDLE-DUM AND TWEEDLE-DEE CARE TO SING A SONG FOR ME?~ DID YOU LIKE YOUR UN-BIRTHDAY?~ DID THE CHESIRE CAT SMILE YOUR WAY?~" Another scowl from the scrambling dirty girl. "CAN YOU TELL A RAVEN FROM A WRITING DISK?~ WAS THE HATTER'S TEA THE BEST?~ DID YOU DO AS THE QUEEN ASKED?~ DID YOU SEE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS?~" Allison kept backing up until her back hit the wall and she yelled out in slight pain when one of the Queen's feet was slammed against her shoulder, pinning her and trapping her against the wall. Allison struggled but she couldn't move her arm and the taller woman was too heavy for her to push off her. "The rabbit seems to call your name.~ You're late so it's time to move.~ Oh Alli, you know it's your fate.~ Tick tock, no time to lose.~"

The music faded away and Allison continued to struggle underneath her weight as the Queen calmly watched her struggle under her. Rolling her eyes just as Allison got an idea. She stopped struggling and scowled up at her capturer, breathing heavily as the Queen rose a brow. Unknowst to her highness Allison shifted her pinned arm painfully and currently slipping the umbrella into her free hand as she was doing so.

"Do you yield now?"

"...L-Let me ask you a question. H-Have you ever heard of a surprise attack!?"

The queen never got a chance to answer before something hit the side of her head. She had leaned down to talk to Allison which put her in the perfect position of Allison's umbrella. It hit her with a thud and with all her strength, Allison pushed against the side of the Queen's leg as she clutched her head which sent the monarch to the ground with a thud. But Allison wasn't done, she spotted the scepter the queen used by her and grabbed it. Her arm still hurt like crazy but she just gritted her teeth and yanked it away from the Queen. Scrambling to her feet and staring down at the taller woman. The queen of hearts looked back up to her and seemed to pause as Allison pointed her umbrella at her and hold her scepter in her other hand.

"S-See?! I got your magic wand! YOU LOSE!! Now l-let me go!"

The queen ever calm just looked at her before she chuckled and got to her feet. Straightening herself and looking down at Allison. "I won't lie. That was an impressive move, I didn't see it coming. But Im afraid you're mistaken. You see, the scepter isn't magic at all." The Queen snapped her fingers and effortlessly the scepter was yanked by Allison and went flying into the Queen's hand. "I AM MAGIC. The scepter is just for show silly girl. If my magic was just contained in my scepter, I would've been defeated long ago."

Allison could only stare wide eyed in shock and continue to breath heavily as she stared at this taller woman in shock, even when the walls fell away behind them exposing them back to the rest of the arena and Allison closed her eyes and threw her hands over her head to shield her face from the flying dust. But froze when she felt the queen press the edge of the staff to her head.

"Sworros nwo reh emoc revo nac ehs sselnu esaeler tnod dna tsaf dloh. Dloh rouy ni lrig siht parw worros fo sniahc.", the queen spoke in some kind of foreign gibberish language and Allison was so confused.

Until somethig clamped around her neck and she yelped. Hands reaching up to grab at her throat but soon her wrists were clamped around too and pulled down. She yelled as she was forced to her knees and dropped the umbrella. Looking down to her hands Allison froze....There was-....Magical handcuffs on her wrists. The chains were blue and see through, obviously made out of some kind of magic and a sudden feeling of panic and sorrow overwhelmed her, she struggled and tried to rip the chains clamped around her off. 

"You got something useless! Of course you did!!" Allison stopped at the voice and looked up. And her jaw dropped in shock at the scene playing out before her. It was....Her. LITTLE HER. Standing there crying with red cheeks while her aunt looked down at her furious. "I asked you get something for grandmother while you were out with Robert and he got her a book. She can read a book! Over and over again if needed. What is she supposed to do with a doll? You wasted my money on a child's toy!"

....NO! She NEVER wasted that money. Cinderella was her granny's favorite fairytale. She would've loved having something like that, she just knew it. 

"Auntie? Can I have a puppy too?"

Allsion looked back to litte her and her aunt giving her a bored look as her two cousins played with their two new pups that rolled around innocent as can be. And scoffed at her. "Well, maybe if you were more responsible and got your grades up like a good girl, you'd be getting one." Making little Allison cry again.

Shaking with tears now in her eyes, she looked back up to the queen who was giving her a sorry look and Allison hiccuped. "W-What did you do?"

"A spell. The Chains of Sorrow. But the spell only works if you say it backwards. 'Chains of sorrow wrap this girl in your hold. Hold fast and don't release unless she can over come her own sorrows.'" She shrugged. "It's my last and final test that no one has ever defeated, it shows the person chained in them their deepest sorrows over and over until I remove them or they overcome them, which never happened.....I actually only used this one other time ever but you can still yield and I'll remove them." 

Allison could only blink at her as she watched more and more scenes came to her. There was a scene of the little girl with strawberry blonde hair falling into a lake and ruining her new dress, her aunt yelling at her for ruining it and her cousins making fun of her. A scene of her class snickering as her fourth grade science teacher scolded her for doodling in her notebook. Another one of her loosing her favorite ball because her cousin kicked it over the fence where the neighbor's dog chewed it up. Another one when she was slightler older. She just got dumped by her boyfriend. ANother one when she was older, she was forced to attend summer school to make up for lost grades. Another even older Allison getting rejected by the colleges she sent an appilication to. Her aunt telling her she had to move out of her house and handing her a bag of her things. A twenty year old her staying up all night looking through all the overdue bills and college textbooks she had to pay. The day she found the eviction notice on her door....The day her granny died. She couldn't stop. Too horrified to look away. The day of the funeral. It was raining, she was staring at the gravestone- Allison slammed her eyes shut and bowed her head down as the voices of her various memories continued to play around her.

"You know I can't see anything you are. Only you can choose to end this, just give up. After all, it seems you could take a lot, but Im not sure."

.....It seemed everyone said that. Expected big things of her and at the same time expected her to give up. So many expectations. So many failures. She couldn't do anything. Couldn't get graduate from college. Couldn't hold a job. Couldn't get a home on her own. Heck. Even Chesire saw how useless she was and cleaned and fed her like a poor person. And then she got herself thrown into this whole new world without even trying not too. Running around like a labrat in a maze trying to get home, and Chesire spent all that energy getting here. Then she got herself kidnapped and got Chesire hurt. Because they were after HER. ...Because of what?! Because she was only human and past humans stole history from them!?....Human....That's right...She was only human. She still didn't look up but her gritted teeth untensed. 

".....I-I...can hold my breath," her voice cracked under pressure as she forced the words out. The Queen's smile disappearing and staring at her. "I c-can bite my tongue. I can stay awake for days I-if that's what you want." She was saying all this barely over a whisper. The Queen right in front of her could barely even hear her. "Be y-y-your number one. ....*hic* I c-can force a smile. I c-can force a laugh." Allison was...singing. All be it very quietly and broken but sorrowfully none the less. "I c-can dance and play the p-part *hic* if that's what you ask. Give you all I can....I can do it...*hic* I can do it. I-I c-c-can do it. B-but Im only human...A-And I bleed when I fall d-d-down." She was still barely audable with only the shocked Queen staring down at her as she softly sang. "I-I'm only human a-and I crash *hic* and I break down. Your words in my head. Knives in my heart. Y-You build me up then I fall apart cause I'm only humaaaaa-ha-haaaaan."

Those red eyes opened and shakingly her head looked up at the Queen. Red faced, frowning, shaking, crying, and half her hair covering that sorrowful face to match the voice that was singing.

"I-I c-c-can turn it on!~", she hiccuped and forced out, "Be a good machine!~ I-I can hold the weight of worlds, if that's w-w-what *hic* you need.~ B-Be your everything.~....." Her eyes narrowed seeing another memory behind the Queen of another younger her, and a bully taking her notebook showing off the doodles she did of her crush to the class. And her teeth gritted into an almost snarl. "...I can do it!~" She sang louder now being heard by more people. "I can do it!~ I'll get through it!~ BUT I'M ONLY HUMAN!!!~ AND I BLEED WHEN I FALL DOWN!!~ I'M ONLY HUMAN!!~ AND I CRASH AND I BREAK DOWN!!~" She opened those angry red eyes and stared directly at the Queen as she spoke the next verse. "YOUR WORDS IN MY HEAD!!~ KNIVES IN MY HEART!!~ YOU BUILD ME UP AND I FALL APART CAUSE I'M ONLY HUMAAAAAAAANN!!!~" She stopped for a moment letting her shaking body and heave and she stared her gaze up at the shocked monarch of Wonderland. "YOU ARE UNFAIR AND EVEN IF YOU DO WHAT YOU DO FOR GOOD REASONS IT STILL HURTS PEOPLE!! YOU STILL PEOPLE THROUGH UNNEEDED STRESS AND PAIN!! IF YOU REALLY SEE YOUSELF AS THE FAIR RULER YOU WANT TO PROVE TO BE, THEN STOP THIS NOW!!" 

She shrieked up at the Queen as she just stood there, just staring and breathing heavily at the smaller human who called her out in front of everyone in the crowd. Everyone silent and even the members of the band playing turning to look at her. The small human daring to stand up to the terrorfying queen of hearts that nobody ever questioned.

"....I-....I can't-"

Allison narrowed her eyes and growled giving her an actual snarl this time with her eyes. Her eyes seeming to almost glow in frustration. "...I'M ONLY HUMAN!! I'M ONLY HUMAN!! JUST A LITTLE HUMMMMAAAAAAAAAANNNN!!!~" Her head leaned back as she yelled the last verses. Everyone still remaining silent as Allison stared angrily at her. "....I can take so much til I've had enough." She couldn't tell if Allison was singing that or telling her how she felt, or both. "CAUSE I'M ONLY HUMAAAAANN!!~ AND I BLEED WHEN I FALL DOWN!!~ I'M ONLY HUMAN!!~ AND I CRASH AND I BREAK DOWN!!~ YOUR WORDS IN MY HEAD!!~ KNIVES IN MY HEART!!~ YOU BUILD ME UP AND THEN I FALL APART!!~ CAUSE I'M ONLY HUMMMMAAAAAAAANNN!!!~"

Allison's voice echoed throughout the whole quiet place and she heaved, staring down this queen challengingly. Daring her to say anything against what she had just voiced. But no words came out of the Queen's mouth as she just stared down at Allison like she was death herself. And Allison continued to cry. She was feeling really bad seeing all her past mistakes coming to face her head on like this but to heck with it. She had enough of this and if it meant facing every single one of them then so be it!! She had enough of getting the short end of the stick. The chains, though just magic, still rattled as she moved and she hissed with the pain her body had.

"You THINK what you're doing is the best you can do! But the truth you refuse to face is that it's doing more harm than g-good. Even if it's for a good purpose, you're going about this the wrong way!" She locked eyes with her. "Y-You used these chains.....Why?"

".....Y-You would've possibly beaten me if I didn't-"

"WHY?!" Allison demanded, "Why is beating me so important?! To punish me for something I DIDN'T even know happened?! I only want to go home and if you really wanted me to go away sending me back would've been the easiest way out for both of us instead of this happening! Are you that insecure you have to prove to everyone that I'm already no match for you?!"

Allison stopped. Looking to the right where no one could see it but her....But her present self was sitting there. Looking tired and exhausted, and staring up at the memory of a happy bouncing blue cat making her smile. Before a bowling pin hit the cat at incredible speed and the small blue cat landed a few feet away from past her. ..Her red eyes widened seeing the four men knock her out and the biggest pick her up off the tent floor as her friend laid unconscious on the ground- Her anger deep down flared up again and this time worse than ever, enough to make her tremble and her red eyes to glow with anger...Literally! Her red eyes shown a brighter red all of a sudden and the Queen actually backed away a few steps from those angry tears. ....Music suddenly started to play. The band people yelped and stepped away from the intruments that began to play as Allison shakingly stood on wobbling legs, refusing to loos eye contact. She WAS NOT weak! It wasn't HER fault her aunt and cousins were terrible! It wasn't her fault she couldn't keep her job or apartment! It wasn't her fault she couldn't go to college!! And is certainly wasn't her fault she accidentally fell through a mirror and crashlanded here! And it wasn't her fault Chesire got hurt!! It was HER men that did that and kidnapped her!! The queen felt something bubble up from her gut she hadn't felt since she was a little girl....Fear. And it showed on her face when facing this Human's red eyes. How was music playing if no band members were playing it?!

"Trippin' out.~ Spinning around.~ I'm underground.~ I fell down.~ Yeah, I fell dooo-o-own.~", Allison sang. Despite still crying hard, she had anything but a sad face. Her face was red with anger and determination and her voice held a fiery passion as she stared down this Queen. "I'm freaking out!~ Where am I now?~ Upside down and I can't stop it now!~ CAN'T STOP ME NOOOO-Ooo-OOOOOWWW!!~ OOOOOHHHHH!!!" She stopped her trembling and flipped her hair out of her face to look around better. "IIIIIIII!!~ I'LL GET BYYYY!!~ IIIIII!!~ I'LL SURVIIIIIVE!!~ WHEN THE WORLD'S CRASHING DOWN!!~ WHEN I FALL AND HIT THE GROUND!!~ I WILL TURN MYSELF AROUND!!~ DON'T YOU TRY TO STOP ME!!~ IIIIIIIII!!~ I WON'T CRYYYYY!!~"

Allison eyed her up and down as the haunted intruments continued to play and began to stomp her way towards this Queen. The chain fading in and out for just a few moments, making the Queen gulp and start to take steps back. Allison ignored the crying of past hers in memories still showing beside her as she marched on. Eyes only focusing on the frightened Queen.

"I'll play the game but I can't stay!!~ I've got my head on straight and I'm not gonna change!!~ I'M NOT GONNA CHANGE!!~ I'LL WIN THE RACE!!~ KEEP UP WITH THE PACE!!~ TODAY IS THE DAY THAT I START TO PRAY!!~ YOU CAN'T GET IN MY WAAAAAYYY!!~ NNNNOOOOO!!~ IIIIIIII!!~ I'LL GET BYYY!!~ IIIII!!~ I'LL SURVIIIVE!!~ WHEN THE WORLD'S CRASHING DOWN!!~ WHEN I FALL AND HIT THE GROUND!!~ I WILL TURN MYSELF AROUND!!~ DON'T YOU TRY TO STOP ME!!~ IIIII!!~ I WON'T CRY!!~"

The Queen tripped and landed on her bottom and if the audience and her weren't so shocked at what was happening, she would've gotten mad at their assumed laughter. But instead found herself scooting back and away from Allison just like she had before her and Allison only continued marching hard and determined never taking those red eyes off her. Almost as if the Queen couldn't look away. Allison barely registered the chains loosening and fading in and out more now. Her hands balled into fists so hard her knuckles turned white at the sensation.

"I found myself in Wonderland.~ Get back on my feet again.~ Is this real?~ Is this pretend?~ I'll take a stand until the EEEENNNNDDDD!~ ....IIIIII!!~ I'LL GET BYYY!!~ IIIIII!!~ I'LL SURVIIIIIVE!!~ WHEN THE WORLD'S CRASHING DOWN!!~ WHEN I FALL AND HIT THE GROUND!!~ I WILL TURN MYSELF AROUND!!~ DON'T YOU TRY TO STOP ME!!~ IIIII!!~ I WON'T CRY!!".....Allison stopped and watched as Velveteen continued to scramble away from her as if she was death herself. ".IIIIII!!~ I'LL GET BYYY!!~ IIIIII!!~ I'LL SURVIIIIIVE!!~ WHEN THE WORLD'S CRASHING DOWN!!~ WHEN I FALL AND HIT THE GROUND!!~ I WILL TURN MYSELF AROUND!!~ DON'T YOU TRY TO STOP ME!!~ IIIII!!~......And I won't cryyy.~"

The music continued for a little longer as Allison seemed to deflate a little and the intruments crashed down the floor and chairs of the band stand and the band memebers looked at one another and back to their un-posessed intruments now. Allison heaved as she still stared dow at the Queen who was also heavy. Their hearts hammered heavily in their chest. The Queen's from fear. Allison's from hard work and running around a lot but as tired and sore as she was, she was still standing. A crackling noise suddenly sounded out as cracks formed across the magic clamps and chains on Allison but she didn't look at them. Just the Queen, she didn't even notice. Her eye contact with the Queen never giving up.

"No matter how hard you push! No matter what's true about me, I will never STOP fighting for what I love! I LOVE art! And will never give that up!" The Queen looked confused by what she meant by that but didn't try to question her. "And you made a mistake. You hurt my friend and I care about him!! AND NOTHING WAS MY FAULT!! I AM NOT WEAK!! I DID ALL THIS BY MYSELF AND I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUDER THAN I AM RIGHT NOW!!" More cracks and fading. "We all make mistakes. My mistake was taking myself forgranted all this time and thinking it was all my fault. Your mistake was not thinking about how your actions affect others...And Chesire...He m-made his own mistakes that Im definitely going to ask him about. But right now. As of today. YOU STOP!! You lost! And you can't make anyone else suffer....Which is why I'm going to do something no one has probably done before."

"...W-What are you going to do?"

"Forgive you."

There was a pause as the Queen's mind completely went blank as she stared at Allison. The dirty, sore n tired, scratched up human stared back at her with a sorry face. ".....What?"

....Allison smiled despite the pain from her scraped cheek. "I said I forgive you. For everything that happened."

".....But why? I hurt you. I-I wasn't going to let you go home."

Allison shrugged. "You were only doing what you thought was best for everyone. You grew up under pretty strict situations, I know how growing up with high expectations feels. And...You didn't really mean any harm. You never actually hurt anyone, and I-....I feel like you're telling the truth." She smiled wider anger completely gone from those shining beautiful red eyes. "No one should judge you for your parents mistakes. I forgive you....Will you accept my forgiveness?"

She still stared at Allison and looked down....All her mistakes. All her progress was....WRONG!! SO WRONG!! She was doing this all wrong but-....What should she do now? Everyone was watching her. Not sure if anyone could hear her other than Allison but...She looked back to the human. ".....I d-do."

There was silence as they still stared at each other and Allison finally looked down at the chains than were completely covered in cracks. They broke with a glass sound and faded into thin air, any memories disappearing behind her and she smiled. Flexing her hands out and smiling wider at her freedom fromher prison but gasped as a shadow fell over them and the sound of someone clapping entered their ears. The Queen looked up from her spot on the ground and also froze as the sweet scent filled their noses.

"Fortune?"

There, to everyone's disbeleif, was the Forune Teller. The giant mothman chuckled pink smoke swirling around him as his first pair of hands held his smoke device, while the other pair was clapping as he smiled down at his beloved. "Greetings, Veleteen. And you too Miss Allison. I must say the show you put on tonight was in my opinion the best you could've given.~ You learnt what you needed too finally."

Velveteen immediately scrambled to her feet and brushed herself off and straightening herself out. A red blush rushing to her cheeks as he chuckled. "How long were you-....W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"I arrived a few minutes before your two's battle began. And I came out of curiousity to see how it would end...And another reason." ...He suddenly reached over to suck on the small smoke machine's pipe before exhaling the sweet smelling pink smoke with a frown. "My crystal ball told me you would be in danger but it didn't say what. I thought it'd be best to come and investigate myself."

Both women looked confused. "Danger? Why would I be in danger? The fight is over now."

BAM!!

The ground shook from under them as the audience screamed and gasped from the earthquake that shook everything. Velveteen was grabbed by the Fortune Teller who steadied her and Allison wobbled and fell onto her bum. The doors from where Allison had first entered through was literally blown off their hendges and sprawled across the arena. Two guards laid there too. Groaning much to everyone's relief. Thank goodness they were ok. But they stared at the smoke pouring out the door and a small shadow was starting to walking it's way through.

"I do beleive we're about to find out."


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: The song Chesire sings is Wonderland by Sounds Like Harmony and in no way mine.)

The whole audience of the arena and the three standing there stared at the entrance to this place where foul smelling smoke poked out from the entrance and .....Music played? SERIOUSLY!! WHAT WAS WITH THESE PEOPLE AND SINGING?! Right now it reminded her of her cousin Robert's video games when a new boss appeared. But before now it just seemed like a giant musical like on Broadway, but it just seemed so menacing now as music magically came from no where. Allison shakingly stood up to her feet and just now realized she had no umbrella. It wasn't much but she'd rather have SOMETHING to defend her with, she felt vulnerable without it as they all watched the very tiny shadow approaching from the smoke and music. Allison blinked and shook her head before looking again. Marching towards them, out of the smoke, was Chesire. But this cat wasn't like the regular smiling cat she was used to seeing. As soon as the crowd could make out who it was, there was screams of fright and hundreds of people scrambling from their seats and heading for what she guessed what was the exit to the stands. Their footsteps sounded like thunder and their screams like a millions horror movies were playing at once but for some reason Allison could hear the mysterious boss music clearly. Was she going crazy or was this more of Chesire's magic? The queen immediately pressed back against the Fortune Teller and the moth wrapped his free arms around her bringing up one of his giant wings. He too seemed slightly worried despite his much calmer face. Velveteen looked down right terrorfied of this Chesire. This Chesire's smile wasn't that happy go lucky kind of smile, this one had sinister intentions behind it and that tail.....It was unlike anything Allison had seen before. Separated into floating parts with blue rings, a thread of beads keeping it all attached to his body, his head off his shoulder floating- Well he could always do that, but watching his head just bobbing along permanently above his shoulders as his body bounced along was a little unnerving. And that's another weird thing. He was walking instead of floating, his body bouncing to the beat of the mysterious music and his hand twirling his staff, those slanted eyes lazer focused right onto Velveteen like some owl to a mouse. He didn't even acknowledge the hundreds of people running from him or the Fortune Teller staring at him with narrowed eye calmly as the cat approached.

"I've met this cat and he said, 'Son. I've got nine lives and you've got one.~ So make the best of this you can.~ Cause nothing goes according to plan.~'", Chesire sang, never mind how someone could sing while there head was floating from their neck but the song had a calm, happy tone but there was clearly a menacing undertone to it. "This cat was wise so I took it's advice.~ And waited for a little sunlight.~ I got this feeling that it might work out alriiiiight.~"

In a moment of panic the Queen pulled her staff out and pointed it at Chesire. A familiar rumbling appeared as those eight dirt pillars appeared and went straight towards the small blue cat. Chesire didn't even flinch, stop moving, or blinked as they rumbled towards him.

"Cause life is a trip and it's full of misadventure!~ The cat in the hat has a panic attack.~ But it's laced with good intentions.~" He finally darted his eyes up to the pillars rumbling towards him and without even stopping he raised his staff and the first ring around his tail disappeared. A giant burst of wind tore through the arena destroying the pillars instantly and crumbling them into dust. Fortune brought his wing up more and made Velveteen duck under it to protect her from the dust cloud but Allison was again knock to her bottom and she cough and waved the dust away. "I guess you could say WE'RE ALL MAD HERE!!~ Life is a trip and it's been a bad year.~"

The dust began to slowly settle and when the three looked back up all the pillars were gone and turned into piles of harmless dirt. Allison's jaw dropped. It took her hard work and thinking just to get rid of ONE and Chesire blew then down like paper. He still calmly walked towards them as he kept singing.

"I met this dog and he said, 'Child.~ You'll outlive me seven times.~ So make the best of this you can cause nothing goes according to plan.~' This dog was wise so I took it's advice.~ And waited for a little sunlight.~ I got this feeling that it might turn out alriiiiight.~"

By now most of the arena had been cleared out and again in a moment of panick the Queen stomped down her foot and another familiar rumble was made. The stone walls from the close combat trial appeared and went towards him as he still smiled and calmly sang towards them. 

"Cause life is a trip and it's full of misadventure.~ The cat in the hat has a panic attack.~ But it's laced with good intentions.~," he sang just as the walls completely surrounded him and made him disappear from view. They didn't see it, but a second blue ring disappeared from his tail as he again pointed his staff at the stone wall. There was an explosion from the other side and one of the walls immediately cracked and fell to a pile of small rocks on the ground. He didn't care he just started walking over then as he continued singing. "I guess you could say that WE'RE ALL MAD HERE!!~ Life is a trip and it's been a bad year.~" He suddenly stopped ontop of the small pile of ruble and stared intensly at the queen, "Nothing is real and that's a fact!~ When you make believe in Wonderland.~ Nothing is real and that's a fact!!~ When you make believe in Wonderland!~" Velveteen shrieked when some invisible force grabbed her leg and made her trip sending her to the ground and the Fortune Teller promptly threw his beloved pipe to the side and quickly grabbed her with all four has as she was dragged a few feet away from him. "I'M JUST A MAD MAN!!~"

Chesire continued watching her hang onto Fortune Teller for dear life as the usual calm moth scowled at Chesire and pulled her away from his invisible magical hold as Allison watched wide eyes with mixed emotions.

"Love is a locket I keep in my pocket.~....Cause life is a trip and full of misadventure!~" He continued his decent down the small pile of rocks and headed right for them. Eye narrowing at the Queen. "The cat in the hat has a panic attack!!~ But it's laced with good intentions!!~ I guess you can say that WE'RE ALL MAD HERE!! Life is a trip and it's BEEEEEEENN!!~ Life is a trip and it's full of misadventure!!~ The cat in the hat has a panic attack!!~ But it's laced with good intentions!!~ I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THAT WE'RE ALL MAD HERE!!!~ Life is a trip and it's bee-..." He stopped.....he absolutely stopped when red and whites stripes stood in front of him....He slowly blinked and slowly looked up, up, up and into the angry red face of Allison scowling down at him. "...a bad year....ALLISON!! OH THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE STANDING!!" He jumped up and floated in the air still smiling at her. "Are you alright?! You're not hurt are you?!" His eyes looked over her dirtied body and then to her scraped cheek and his eyes narrowed more, and ears pinned to the back of his head. "It seems to me I came a little LATE!!....Which I do apologize. I got here as fast as I could!"

Allison still scowled at him, the rest of the people in the arena piling out in a panic as she spoke. "Let her go, Chesire."

The cat blinked. "....Beg pardon?"

"I said let her go, Chesire. She's not a bad person, not really." Chesire looked as if she had just changed into a dog and threatened to chase him. Smile froze on his face as she stood there, scowl never leaving as the moth continued to play tug of war with the invisible force. "She told me everything and was honest. Which is more I can say for you." Her eyes narrowed more. "Why didn't you tell me you turned people into dust?"

That seemed to make him flinch, his smile disappeared until it turned into a frown and his eye became hurt. Behind them Velveteen was dropped to the ground finally and Fortune pulled her to her feet immediately. Holding her to him as they stared at the cat and Allison. A popping crackling sound was heard and Allison blinked as Cheshire's tail was forced back together like a regular cat tail and it sealed inself back to his body as he deflated in front of her.....His paws shakingly came up to grab his head, and pull it back down onto his small neck as he stared at her.

"I-....was hoping you'd never find out. I-...'' He tried smiling again. "I was only trying to protect you. I never even expected for you to come here. W-Why would it be important?"

"It's important because well, I DID fall down here. On accident but here none the less! And it would've been nice to have a heads up. But Im more hurt because my own best friend says he wants to protect me, but didn't trust me enough to tell me that." Her scowl melted into a hurtful frown as she stared at him. "We have a lot to talk about Chesh. But you need to tell me everything from now on." She smiled and held out her hands, promise?"

Chesire still floated there for a moment staring at her....before smiling again and throwing himself at her in a hug. "I promise! Im so sorry, Allison."

She hugged him tightly. "It's ok. I forgive you....But there's two other people you should also apologize too." She turned around and made him face the two still watching them in fright and scowls alike. Chesire paused looking at the Fortune Teller...then the queen...then at Allison who nodded towards them. "It would mean a lot to me."

Chesire still stared at her for a bit, before looking over to the strange couple and smiled nervously. "So sorry about the inpolite drop in. I was worried about Allison after she was so rudely called away.~"

"And you'll help fix everything, right?"

He looked behind him at the destroyed stone wall and the doors that was tossed off their hendges. "....Oh. OH, OF COURSE!!"

"And you won't do this ever again right?"

"Right, right! I promise." He looked back to the Queen, "Uh....How about it? Truce?"

Velveteen still looked at the small cat Allison held in her arms and jumped when Fortune put a hand on her shoulder. " It would be wise to take this opportunity, my love. Let a long hatred come to rest and make peace. After all, you're more than capable of letting forgiveness into your heart, aren't you?"

The queen didn't answer for a moment, but looked over to this human who beat her and this Cat who had butted heads with her for years. "......" She sighed and nodded. "Truce."

Allison ended up smiling and hugged Chesire more who giggled those funny giggles of his. And Fortune smiled that calm smile of his. "I'm glad everything has turned out for the better. But I think before we forget, we should fix the things that are broken." He lifted a hand and pointed to the path of Chesire's destruction and the cat again chuckled nervously. 

"oh...Yes, let's do that."


	17. Chapter 17

Allison was forever going to be stunned by this small cat she swore. Chesire kept his word and repaired the stone wall he destroyed, as well as magically levitated the doors he blew off. The two guards also groaned and managed to stumble and wobbled to their jello feeling legs and blinked their tired eyes. Gasping and drawing out their swords as soon as they saw Chesire floating towards them with two doors right behind him and Allison walking slowly a little ways behind him and smiling. They were about to swing at the smiling cat with scowls on their faces and Chesire still didn't flinch. For a moment Allison thought he was gonna get sliced into minced meat until they were stopped by a woman's familiar voice.

"STAND DOWN AT ONCE!!" Both stopped and looked up at the Queen who walked by Allison and sighed. Chesire didn't even blink at them or anything and just continued to floating along humming to himself. "He is not our enemy..Not any more."

Both guards looked completely confused, but dared not disobey their queen and slowly sheethed their swords, still absolutely confused as she walked past. Allison jumped when someone chuckled behind her and she snapped her head around and up to Fortune. The giant moth had picked back up his smoke pipe and more of that sweet smelling pink smoke whirled around him as he looked to her and gestured ahead to them. Chesire was already narrowing his eyes and rubbing his chin as he tried to maneuver the doors back into place to fix the hindges. Veveteen stopped to look at Chesire for a moment, not that the cat noticed at all and if he did didn't acknowledge her, giving him a worrying look real quick....before hurrying walking ahead, her two guards walking behind her.

"Change is not never easy." Allison blinked and looked back up to the moth who blew out more pink smoke with a patient smile. Without looking at the small human girl, started walking forward casually. Allison blinked and hurried to catch up with him, stopping to walk beside the taller male. "It's going to take a LONG time for my dear Velveteen to fully accept and conform to the new truth she's faced with, and your friend still has to face the tall bump in the road in your friendship. But all changes for the better start somewhere.....You might've done Wonderland a great job today Miss Allison. I applaud you for your determination.~"

Allison blinked. "Me? What did I do? All I did was get angry because she hurt people. Even if she was trying to be good, it was bad."

He side eyed her. "Don't lie to me. I'm too wise for that.~ I saw that determination and passion in your eyes. You beat her through the love and concern for your friend, and the realization of your own self worth. I wouldn't say that was just getting angry wouldn't you?"

....Allison shook her head and gave a small smile. "Y-Yeah...Well, Chesire means a lot to me." She turned ahead of them and giggled and the funny expression of Chesire having narrowed eyes, frowning, stroking his chin, and his tongue sticking out doing a blep as he tried fixing the other door. "I..Guess we're even now."

He smiled wider as they approached, "Well you have my thanks for finally getting through my beloved's hardhead and setting her on the right path. She'll need more guidance, but she has me for that now."

Allison rose a brow. "Yeah. No offense but what do you see in her?"

He fully looked to her and chuckled. "No offense taken my dear. A lot of people wouldn't understand but where most see a terrifying, tyrannical Queen...I see a hard working, independent woman who's trying to make the best of a hard life and situation she was thrown into by past family and fix her life around. After all-" He gave a wink and chuckle. "We both know how it is when you're thrown into a completely new situation thanks to family and have to piece back together things. Don't we?"

Allison stopped in the doorway by the door Chesire was still fixing and stared at him. "How did you-"

"I didn't I just guessed. ....But if you really want to know, I find Velveteen a woman who loves me for who I am and banned people to let me have the privacy I always loved. How many lucky men can say a woman did that for them, eh?" He talked and waved his free hands behind him as he continued walking away from them, his voice echoing throughout the halls. "And it also doesn't hurt she has a nice figure.~ Hmhmhm."

Allison rolled her eyes and shook her head before looking to Chesire as the door finally snapped magically back into place and he smiled again. Sighing as his work was done and he looked back to Allison with his same usual grin. " WHELP!! That seems to be everything!"

"Well not exactly everything." Allison started walking and Chesire floated right beside her as they walked along, and she looked at him. "You still haven't told me why you turned the old king and queen to ashes? I mean..Y-Yeah. I know they did really horrible things but why did you do something terrible back?"

Chesire went quiet for a moment as they walked along. Servants and guards giving the two worried expressions and peeking behind doors as they passed but didn't dare approach the mad Chesire and Human who fought the queen and one. .....He slowly blinked back to her with those mitch matched eyes and gave a sorry, sad look. "Remember when I said my magic gets stronger with each new generation? When I was younger and first came back, I only seeked vengeance for my family....I did not think it would be this important later in my life...But we all have to live with that fact I suppose.....I really am sorry for not telling you, Allison. I only wished to protect my friend from my world, as you took me in and protected me from yours."

She smiled wider. "Well then I guess we all have things to apologize for. But now...Let's just go home. Me to mine, and your home away from home."

He laughed at the statement. "Agreed. You've adventured long enough."

They walked along almost aimlessly through the castle's checkered floors and expensive furniture-d hallways not caring about the glances they were given as Allison just really followed Chesire's lead as he seemed to know which way they needed to go and soon enough had stopped floating and pushed open a door to a room to the left and went in, and of course Allison followed. And paused at what exactly she was seeing. The Queen and Fortune Teller were there too, the room was completely empty and devoid of anything except a giant reflective mirror built into the back wall which showed all of their reflections as the two already in the room turned to Allison and Chesire floated up to the mirror with that smile. His tiny paw reached out and tapped the surface making the reflective surface ripple like if you threw a rock into a lake. He then giggled and looked back to Allison as the other two and gestured excitedly for her to come in. She hesitated for a moment before slowly walking towards it and stopping just three feet away, still staring at it.

"Is that-"

"Yes," the queen nodded her head and pointed to it, "This will take you directly back through the way you came, the way back home. You...You deserve to go back."

Allison smiled and stepped towards it but stopped when something red flashed in front of her face. The Fortune Teller was holding out her umbrella, she had completely forgotten about that back at the arena. More pink smoke swirled around his antennas. "You'll need this to transport you back, otherwise you'll fall back down here and who knows where you'll end up."

She slowly took it from him and smiled. "Thank you.." Then back to the mirror. "So how do I make it work?"

"The same way you did it before. Just open your umbrella and jump right in!," Chesire excitedly announced happily. "And don't worry. I'll be jumping in right behind you so you have no need to worry! You finally get to go home!"

The umbrella unfurled by itself and Allison blinked. Walking closer to the reflection and smiled. Casting one more look to the ones around her and saying, "Thank you."

Before she-.....

JUMPED!!

WHOOSH!! It was like a giant gust of wind just forced her forward and back into the air. Her sore arm hurt from the giant yank on her arm sand on instinct she clutched the handle for dear life. Her body being swung back and forth like some ragdoll and she was scared she might be flung off to who knows where again for a moment. Her hair whipped behind her freeing her face and she gasped as a giant grandfather clock flew passed her, her head twisting to follow it as it went down...Wait. A CLOCK?! She looked up and wmiled when she rapidly blinked at the absolute spiral of BRIGHT orange-pink funnel stared back at her while she was falling up it- She yelped and moved aside as a teacup. A TEACUP!! Of all things flew past her next. Followed by another, then a matching teapot, then a matching tea tray, silver tea spoons, and the rest of a whole tea set. Oh yeah. She remembered those. In the distance more objects started to whizz past her as she continued to free fall up to whatever this thing lead to, which was hopefully back home. A book, thankfully not a very thick one, hit her forehead before continuing on past her. Her red eyed looking around at the now clutter of things as they whizzed by her. Chairs, tables, tea sets, books, paintings, hourglasses, watches!! You name it, it was there. Just like when she first fell down this tunnel, her umbrella whooshing her back up the way she came she hoped. She got her answer when a giant gust of wind just forced her forward and faster and faster and things whirled past her. As she drove deeper and deeper into the unknown, all of a suddenly things were starting to spiral out of control. The random clocks, tea sets, and other things were starting to whizz past her faster and faster. And she was spinning and spinning faster and faster out of control as her surroundings became nothing but swirls of bright colors that was making her head hurt and her arms REALLY hurt from the amount of strain they were using to hold on! So she closed her eyes as soon as the bright light became too much! Her stomach felt like throwing up and she only spun faster and faster. Her fingers finally loosening their grip slowly.

Slowly.

....Slower...

.....Slower..

SLOWER!!

She screamed when her body was flung down like she was fired flom a slingshot down into the center of a bright light upwards, and she slammed her eyes shut. Until with a final smack, she fell to the ground face first like a limp ragdoll.

.....

......

......*COUGH*!!

A hand slowly came to shakily clutch at the ground she was flopped against and Allison's head slowly lifted itself from the ground and coughed again. The ground beneath her was soft with a scruffy rug like feel. She blinked her still blood red eyes and looked around the familiar room. The dark room had just enough light for her to see that it was....Her granny's old meditation room!! She smiled and quickly pushed herself to her knees, looking around the room and jumping when a flash of lightning flashed outside. It was STILL storming but not as badly as she remembered. Allison looked down spotting her phone by her grey lap.....GREY LAP!? She blinked and looked down at herself. The tacky red dress and stockings were gone, replaced back with her old sweats and shirt! She smiled wider and grabbed her phone and sighed, looking around the quiet home and taking it all in as the rain poured outside. She was home...And she had gotten here. She didn't think she'd miss this place even more than she already did but this proved her wrong. A giggle made her pause and look up, and Allison couldn't help but smile back at what she saw. A pair of mitch matched eyes blinked down at her as the blue cat waved his tail from side to side.

"Welcome back from Wonderland, Allison.~ I hope you enjoyed your stay.~"


	18. Epilouge plus end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Hey everyone. I just wanted to thank everyone who read this far and liked my story enough to read it to it's end. I had a lot of fun writing it and it makes me happy knowing some people loved it enough to read it fully. Thanks to everyone for reading this, faving it, or leaving a nice comment. And thank you to Vivziepop for creating such wonder characters and giving me the opportunity to make this wonderful story. The ending is referenced from Zootopia by Disney )

Two Months.

It had been two months since her little adventure and the first things she did that night was take a long deserved shower and FINALLY get her some good freaking food!! A whole minced meat pie she cooked herself and as much leftovers she wanted. She deserved it after so much work to back here. Chesire was a bit sheepish around her blaming himself for getting her stuck down there in the first place but she forgave him. How couldn't she? He meant too much to her and helped her too much to NOT forgive him, and he gladly accepted her accepting him. But he also promised to never keep anything from her again, and next time she wanted to go exploring he'd make SURE he was right there with her to help her out in any sticky situations. Well Allison wasn't planning on going back there anytime soon, and she had a feeling she would be able to handle herself a little bit better from now on. Besides. She was currently all adventured out and perfectly content to be staying here for a long, long time.

Present day she was busy working in the garden out back watering the flowers and pulling out all the weeds. Hard work, but hard work was always rewarded and her reward was having all these beautiful flowers WITHOUT faces to look at. And off course a giggling blue companion to talk too as well. Her red eyes looked over to the blue cat who was currently reading over some kind of red paper in his paws with a raised brow, from the ground by the flower beds. She had asked Chesire about her weird eyes and he shrugged. Telling her it was probably a side effect from being exposed to Wonderland's strange magic, like how his magic's rapid power drainage was a side affect of hers

"Hey. Whatcha got there?"

Chesire hummed but didn't look up from the paper. "Oh nothing important. Just an invintation to Queen Hearts Wedding. Apparently after all this time the wise old Fortune Teller is finally stepping out into the public eye, and marrying her no less."

"Oh, are you going?"

...."Nah!" He snapped his fingers and the paper disappeared as he looked at her. "Never was a big fan of weddings anyways. Always so boring and cliché."

"You know, she probably sent it to show there wasn't any hard feelings between you two." She went back to tending the garden and he chuckled again watching.

"Yes. But Im perfectly content spending my time with my bestest friend!"

"Bestest?"

"Better than best!~"

"Oh haha very funny."

"Oh come on. You know you love me.~"

She hummed and looked over her shoulder with a raised brow. "Do I know that?" He chuckled and rose a brow back as she smiled. "Yes. Yes, I do."


End file.
